Bring Me To Life
by Sachi Gosetsuke
Summary: I was the bird trapped in her cage, waiting to fly. I was the fighter dreaming to live, waiting, wanting to be brought to life. I was Asuka Kazama, 17 years old, serving justice to others and searching for the truth. COMPLETE!
1. Prologue :: Soaring Bird

**Sachi Gosetsuke**: I never learn, do I? Once again, I am changing the plot. Well, semi-same plot as before. Just...different. But anyway, my frustration level on a scale of one to ten is eleven. My computer has a virus in it, so I have no access to the Internet or any of my stories whatsoever. And right now I'm using a laptop - a 1993 laptop. Makes me miss my old, crappy 2002 computer...virus free of course.

So...throughout this story for any of you who have read the original version, you will see the same contents as before, just edited. And for those of you newcomers: just read and review please. Because I am writing a flat-out Asuka Kazama story for one reason: **_there are just not enough Asuka stories_**. All I see is JIN JIN JIN JIN JIN KAZUYA JIN JIN JIN JIN JIN KAZUYA and JIN JIN JIN XIAOYIN. C'mon people: quit "recycling" Kazama-Mishima and Xiaoyin stories! It's Asuka's time to shine!

**Disclaimer**: Asuka, Jin, Jun, and any other Tekken characters here are all property of Namco. Kenichi is the OC of my friend **Psychoblue**. The rest is **mine**.

**--------------------**

_**Bring Me To Life**_

_**By Sachi Gosetsuke**_

**o-o-o**

Prologue

_They say that when you die, your whole life flashes right before your eyes. I wouldn't know for sure. No one does. However, I'll be the first to tell you if it's true or not - because I'm about to die..._

_Please do not worry for me. I have no regrets of my upcoming death. I had no other choice, and this is my destiny..._

_I am grateful, however, that I am about to die, knowing that everyone will be safe. And also, I am thankful enough that I will die knowing the truth. I wonder now, though, what would happen if I did not know the truth? Would I have lived normally, and died differently, unknown to my true lineage? I will never know, and I don't want to know. I am glad to know my true lineage and I am happy to have met my brother, Jin Kazama..._

_I also wonder...what would have happened if I never met Kenichi? Yes; my life would have been _very_ different. For better or for worse, I don't know. Maybe it would have been better for Kenichi. But I now know, that fate is a funny thing..._

_It is safe to say, I guess, that it was a bittersweet and fortunate day for the Mishimas and Kazamas when Feng Wei came to my Uncle's dojo. Despite what he has done, if it weren't for him, I would have never entered the tournament for payback and discovered the truth..._

_So please don't worry for me. I have no regrets about dieing like this. Though I would have chosen dieing peacefully at an old age in my sleep, I know that this is the only way. I have no time (literally) for self-pity. This is my destiny. I chose to die for the ones I love. I have made my decision..._

_The irony to all this is that when you die, supposedly your entire life seems to flash before your eyes. So here goes..._

_My name is Asuka Kazama. And this is my life...

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_

When I was little, I never did read fairytales. I mean, I did read some, though, I didn't read any princess ones. My father did however buy me some of the originals, like Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, and Sleeping Beauty. They were nice and all; but I quickly resented those kinds of stories.

It wasn't that I didn't like reading. It was because of the fact that the princesses were all frail and dainty, waiting for their prince charming to rescue them, when they could easily just do it themselves. Even at the age of 5, I saw those princesses giving a bad name to girls.

If there's one thing I hate, besides the preps, the jocks, the racists and sexiest, it's stereotypes. Fairytales like Cinderella give off the impression that all girls were and had to be beautiful, rich, and lady-like, waiting for the men to do all the work for them.

And even as a girl of 5 years old, I hated that idea. Well, it probably does make sense; I mean, I hated boys back then, and I also hated being all girly-girl and obeying the rules. I was outspoken, a thrill seeker, and I didn't care what anyone thought. And I still do.

I remember, as I grew older, and matured over the years, how I felt trapped in my own home. It was as if I had no freedom – even though I did. I mean my father _is_ pretty over-protected when it came to certain things, but he still allowed me enough freedom. But…it was the fact that my life was so typical, and normal. I wanted adventure. I wanted to break free of the ties that hold me in place, and just…_fly_.

I love heights. The idea of the tiptops of skyscrapers and soaring through clouds just absolutely thrills me to pieces. I recall the countless days after school, how I would sneak through the fire escapes and onto the rooftops of buildings and just sat with my legs dangling over the walls and just staring out at the world around me. Once or twice, I brought a bike, and at full-speed, I would just shoot out, landing on all the other buildings around me. It was the rush that I loved. The feeling of _flight_. I crave for that feeling.

And I found that feeling through martial arts. Kazama-Style Martial arts; my family name, my very own style of fighting. My father began to teach me when I was 5 years old. I took pride in what I did, and fighting was definitely one of them. It was the adrenaline rush I loved. The focus, the intensity, everything about fighting. People fight for revenge, for fame; I fight for thrill.

Fighting and heights were what gave me my freedom and thrill. I practiced everyday, hardening my resolve, perfecting my skills. Everyday, my father grew proud of my fast learning. Once or twice, I caught him secretly watching me practice in our dojo, and I could see tears forming in his eyes as he watched me with pride. Maybe it was because I resembled so much of my mother.

I never knew my mother. She died when I was just a baby. I asked my father about her a few times, however, I never did get a proper answer. I could tell my father really did love my mother. I don't even know what she looks like, let alone _what _she was like. My father never talks about her; he says that the memories hurt. I respected him for that, and I always felt guilty afterwards when I had tried to get answers form him. Yet other times, I felt that he was being selfish, that I shouldn't be deprived of those things. But I love my father deeply, and I really look up to him, so I never ask about my mother anymore.

And yet, I catch myself watching young mothers, pushing toddlers in their strollers, or pushing children on swing sets. I hate to admit this, but I envied those children, and I wished to tell them never to take their mothers for granted. The same went to my friends, who would complain how much they think their mothers are unfair and evil. Well they should probably take a day in my life and see how it feels to not have a mother to complain about.

I never told my father about these things. I'm pretty sure he knew I _did _feel these things, even if he couldn't understand well, but he knew, since he knows everything about me. But there are just some things about my life that I'm just not ready to tell him, or I can't tell him. Every young girl needs a mother, no matter how old-fashioned the saying is, it's true. How do you go to your father to ask about personal things? Perhaps that was what the biggest problem I had with puberty.

But I learned to accept these things in my life, no matter how much I disagreed with it. Thanks to my father and experience, I learned that there are a lot of things in life that aren't bad, and you only get to live once, so you might as well live life to the fullest.

Again, there are lots of things I most detest: stereotypes, sexists, racists, preps, etc., are one of these things. But I also hate troublemakers. I live in a very peaceful neighborhood filled with young kids and lots of good things. And people who try to destroy that in my neighborhood like bullies, thieves, and gangs must be punished.

I have a strong sense of what's right and what's wrong. I guess I take that from my father. But I guess that it's also a bad thing. A lot of people who either don't like me, or know me, say that I'm nosy, and I try to solve other people's problem's it's not a bad thing; it's just that my way of solving problems usually means knocking out someone.

If I catch someone bullying someone, or pick pocketing someone, I let him or her know that I know. Well c'mon people; you see someone doing something wrong, you correct them. Another downer to me learning how to fight.

I think my father knows about me doing these things. He told me so when I came home, after pummeling two bullies to the ground. He warned me not to let him catch me beating people up like that (hey, it's not like they _don't_ deserve it). And I don't let him catch me doing it – I just don't do it when I'm aware he's _there_.

I bet you anything he knows that I've continued doing this. He never says anything; but I'm sure he's displeased about it.

I love adventure. I have a very romantic side to adventures. The thrill of it all, the never so typical side to life; despite reality and how dangerous adventures really are. But I can't help it. I felt trapped in my own home.

Maybe it was because there were some things my father doesn't tell me. Like my mother for instance. Or maybe it was because of how normal my life was. Or even the fact that I _am _a thrill seeker. Either way, I felt like a prisoner in my own home. Which is why I escape to the tops of skyscrapers, and fight. To escape the real world. To feel the _rush_. I sit on skyscrapers and look out around me, just to know, what _is_ out there? I wanted to know. I wanted to see those things, experience the adventure for the first time.

Or maybe it was because I wanted to escape my own world. Yes, I did want to; but not because of how typical it was. I wanted to escape…the memories. I didn't _want_ to envy daughters who had mothers anymore. I didn't want to remember the heartbreaks I felt. Yes, it's true; no matter how much I want to deny it, I had loved. Not the love I feel for my father, or for my friends; but _real_ love. I did love at a time…and another feeling that comes to love, is _loss_; I did feel loss. But that part comes later…_much_ later.

Loss...if I were to tell someone who knew me only as Asuka Kazama, "justice fighter," that I was sad, and grieving inside, and I needed a friend...they would laugh. That's what everyone thought about me: that I was perfect, completely happy and normal, and Iwas tough and knew only joy and rage.Well reality check: not everyone's perfect. I'm still human, no matter how many bones I can break in someone's arm. Punch me I bleed. Deceive me, and it hurts just as much as it does to accidentally kick yourself _really_ hard while trying to do a series of complicated kicks. I can still feel...and I can still cry. Not a lot of people know that; they don't know the real me.

But I also wanted to discover something new. What I wanted to discover…was me. The _real_ me. A lot of people don't know the real me. They either know me as the tough girl who goes to our school; Asuka the "justice fighter." And even the dojo's master's daughter. ButI don't know the real me myself...both mentally and emotionally. It could be because of how little I knew about my mother then and now...or something else...

That was why I wanted the adventure: the thrill, the rush, and the flight. I wanted to fly and break free of the ties that bound me to my place. I was young; I was naive. I didn't know that there would be something out there that I couldn't see, couldn't feel, that I was not ready for.

But if I never did experience it…if I never did see it…I would have never known. I wouldn't have discovered a lot of things for that matter.

Yet,as my father had thought so, it would have been for the better. I would have been safe from the truth. He tried to protect me form the truth. But I had to know; I had the right to know the truth. Because I am not Cinderella, waiting for my prince in shining armor to rescue me. I wasn't the usual obedient Japanese girl, who did what others told her to do, and drank green tea. I wasn't those things, not before I learned the truth, and certainly not now.

I was the bird, trapped in her cage, waiting to fly. I was the fighter, waiting to feel the rush, the sense of thrill again. I was the spirited girl, dreaming to live, waiting, wanting to be brought to life. I was Asuka Kazama, 17 years old, serving justice to others, and searching for the truth.

**Sachi Gosetsuke**: yes, for those of you who have read the original version of the story, you will recognize some of the things here, only I promise you, they will be a tad bit different. So TO REVIEW: if you already reviewed the first chapter, you know you can't review more than once. So just log-out and review! Simple as that! But if you don't want to, fine, fine (not), just message me and tell me what you think :)


	2. Ch 2 :: In The Begining

**Sachi Gosetsuke**: Heads up - while you read, be sure to pay attention to Asuka's age. Each chapter is just a memory, and the italicized words are the actual present-Asuka talking - so pay attention and don't get confused!

I'm really, really sorry having to revise it over and over again! But I promise that this version is worth reading!

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Chapter 2: In The Beginning

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**_Perspiration ran_** down the woman's forehead, only to be dabbed away by a wet hand towel. In the corner of the small room she was at, was the old housekeeper, Mrs. Sanada, cleaning a newborn and wrapping the baby up in a pink blanket.

Just minutes ago, the woman, by the name of Jun Kazama had given birth, at the very moment the sun had rise. Her older brother had been there, holding her hand by her bedside as the housekeeper (and trusted friend of her brother) delivered the baby. It was a healthy baby girl.

The moment she was born, everyone was silent; the only sound in the quiet room was the sound of the baby's wails as it came into the Earth. Jun had cried during the labor; though she had already given birth once, no woman could get used to the labor pains. But it was not just the physical pain that made her cry, but also the emotional pain.

And though she felt most fortunate to have a caring older brother beside her, and also a trusted and caring friend whom she had not known for a while, she felt slightly bitter, feeling that it should have been the baby's father to hold her hand then.

Mrs. Sanada, holding the baby girl in the baby's pink blanket, walked over to the mother, beaming. "She's beautiful," she said softly, handing the baby to its mother. Then she left the room to leave the two alone.

Jun held her daughter in her arms, awestruck. Her older brother, kneeling by the bed, looked at his niece filled with fascination as well. The baby was the spitting image of the mother, and just as beautiful as well; a little red-faced from birth, round head and deep brown eyes, and soft, auburn brown hair.

"Hey there, little girl," Jun cooed. The baby blinked up at her mother, staring at her with interest as well.

"She looks just like her mother," Jun's brother said, "I can tell that she will grow beautifully."

"Yes," Jun replied, "And she even has her grandmother's beautiful hair."

Her brother grew puzzled at her words; their mother did not have brown hair. But then he grew silent, not knowing what to say, realizing she had not meant _their_ mother. Nevertheless, Jun did not take her eyes off her baby girl.

"Good thing we were prepared and ended up buying both pink and blue baby things," her brother said jokingly, "I was certain it would be a boy!"

"Yes," Jun admitted, laughing a little, "The way she kicked that hard, I'm pretty certain that she will become a great fighter one day."

"Just like her mother," he added.

"And just like her father," she said softly.

He was silent again, not knowing what to say. Ever since Jun had told him that she was pregnant with her first child, and told him of the first baby's father, he was outraged that she had conceived a child out of wedlock. However, he forgave her, but still held a sense of resentment towards the father to have left her alone. And now, he finally comes, only to leave her once more and pregnant. Only this time, things were different. Very different.

This time, the baby's arrival was kept in secret. No one was to know about the baby's existence; not even the baby's older brother, who was only four years older than her. This time, instead of giving birth to her in Yakushima forest, where Jun and her son grew up and lived isolated from the city, the baby was to be born all the way in Osaka. And this time, the baby would be kept in Osaka with her uncle, raised and taught here, away from her brother and mother, and especially her father.

When Jun's brother had finally gotten over the fact that his younger sister was pregnant, Jun explained the circumstances. She explained about Kazuya's family, his past, and his curse. The fact that Jun had fallen in love with a devil was what stunned her brother the most. And that was why Jun and her son lived in Yakushima and not with her brother, away from the city, isolated from devil's presence.

And now the same was to happen to the baby girl. Only this time, she must be parted away from her mother. In order to save the lives of her children, Jun made the ultimate sacrifice: give up her second child. As long as their children were not together, she was sure that devil would not be able to sense their spirits, as strong as it was together.

The baby was to be born and raised here in Osaka, never to know about her true lineage. After much discussion, they decided it were best to just have her believe that her uncle was her father. It was cruel…however it was necessary. Jun asked her brother to be the one to raise the baby. He was 12 when their parents found Jun as a baby in the middle of Yakushima forest. And when they passed away when she was only 13, it was him who raised her, and even before she and her brother were very close. Jun saw her brother more as a father after their own parents passed away. And so, Jun figured that he was the best person to care for her child.

Yet, he could tell, from the moment the baby was born, that she had a change of heart.

"You know," he said slowly, "We still need to name her."

Jun smiled. "I've been thinking," she said, "Jin's name sounds so much like my own. I figured that it would only be fair if…her name would be more like her father's."

He paused. Then he replied, "Well…then you make the name. It's your baby. What name is suitable for a Kazama girl?"

"Don't forget," Jun said gently, "That she is also a Mishima."

He hesitated, "I haven't…How about Kasumi? It sounds like her father's name." All the time that Jun had come to Osaka on her fifth month, her brother never once said the baby's father's name.

"It's nice," she said wearily, "But…I don't know. It doesn't seem to fit."

"You're right…what about…Sakura? You love cherry blossoms, and it is the time of month the flowers bloom."

"Yes," Jun replied, "But…it's still not right." Then she paused to think. And then --

"Asuka…" she said slowly.

"Asuka?" he inquired. He paused as well. "It's a unisex name," she said, "and we all thought that she would end up as a boy."

"Right," he said thinking out loud, "Not too feminine…and not too muscular. And it means, "soaring bird." You love bird watching."

"It's a beautiful name," Jun said. "I'm sure…that Kazuya would have found it perfect."

Again, her older brother grew silent at the mention of the father. Many times he asked why she had chosen him, although she had explained her reasons when Jin was born. Yet no matter what she said, he could not rid of his dislike towards the man, and could not understand still.

"Then it's settled," he said brightly, diminishing the thought of Kazuya, "Her name will be Asuka Kazama."

"Asuka…" Jun looked down at her daughter once more. Baby Asuka was now sleeping, her mouth slightly parted. She kissed her forehead tenderly.

Even before she was born, Jun had fallen in love with her baby. Though she hid in the confines of her brother's dojo, she was happy, always singing soft lullabies to her baby, reading to her, and even talking softy to her, telling how much she loved her. It would have been very painful for her and her brother to have to part them.

After a while, once Jun was able to walk and had showered and Asuka slept soundly, her brother came. "It's time, imouto (**little** **sister**)," he said softly to her as she held her baby once more.

Jun looked away from him and stared down at the sleeping newborn. "I know," she whispered. All through caring for Asuka, in the back of her mind she told herself that the time would come when she would have to leave her. Yet it didn't make it less painful.

"Please Jun," her brother begged, "Don't make this any harder then it already is."

Jun blinked back tears as she kissed Asuka once more and slowly laid her down in her cradle. Silently, she straightened, and paused a moment, as if making a decision. Then slowly, she reached for the back of her neck, and unclasped a golden locket that she wore all the time around her neck. It consisted of a rectangular locket with a small picture in it.

She turned to her brother and handed it to him. "Give this to Asuka when she's older," she said, "Tell her it's from her mother."

He nodded, taking the necklace from her, tears already in his eyes. He looked away, as Jun bent over the cradle once more to kiss her baby girl. "I love you Asuka," she whispered, "Good-bye …"

_When I turned five years old, my uncle stayed true to his word. He promised himself to tell me the truth when I was older, and the time was right. His only mistake was never telling me his true identity, and my real mother; that I was the daughter of Jun Kazama, and he was in fact, my uncle. But he raised me perfectly, never the less, and loved me just as a real father to a daughter._

_When I was five, he taught me the Kazama-style of Self Defense and martial arts. I learned quickly, determined to perfect my skills. It was the sense of pride in my "father's" eyes that made me do so. I practiced everyday, determined to finally meet the day I would be able to defeat him in a sparring match. It hadn't come though, even to this day. But I did accomplish becoming his best student as I grew older, and I was able to defeat each and every one of my uncle's students. _

_As I would practice by myself in the confines of our dojo, I would see out of the corner of my eye, my Uncle standing in a corner, watching me. He was so proud of me, and because I was still young, it broke my heart to see him blinking back tears. I once questioned him why he was crying. "Because you look so much like your mother," he said. It was one of the only things he said about my mother. Everything else was kept a secret, too painful for him to share. But he was able to spare me one bit of information._

"_Your mother was…amazing. Simply amazing Asuka."_

_I had the impression that my mother was an angel._

_While I was learning the Kazama-style ryu, I felt undefeated, though I had much to learn. I was the only girl my age who even knew martial arts (though not perfectly of course)._

_Until I met Kenichi._

**_A big_** white van. Men in blue jumpsuits. Boxes. Furniture...

Someone had finally moved in next door.

The little girl watched with suspicious eyes as the movers carried out boxes and furniture inside the house across the street. Though she was only 6 years old, she knew how the real estate been desperate to sell the house that no one wanted. She didn't blame them; thanks to those teenagers who kept scaring them away, everyone believed that the house was haunted.

But now, Asuka watched the new family across the street. By the blue twin bed and mini basketball hoop, there was only one young boy in the family. So it was not a surprise for Asuka to see a boy, just her age with brown, unruly hair and darkblue eyes. As blue as saphires and darkas the still night. Asuka had never seen such blue eyes on a Japanese boy. It just made her even more intrigued bythe boy.He wore no expression; she saw no fear, no joy, nothing in his eyes. The boy was either really truly monotone or unreadable to the world.

His parents, however, were calm enough. The mother, with jet-black hair in a single ponytail looked very pleasant, good-looking, though not exceptionally beautiful. Right away Asuka knew she was a tomboy: casual blue jeans, bright red T-shirt and blue jean jacket and sneakers. And the way she held herself: confidence. The same kind in the new boy.

The father. He was the spitting image of his son: brown hair and brown eyes. The same self-confidence; the same monotone expression and serious, yet also cool gaze. Of course, he was an older version of his son, more built and broader and taller, quite tall for his age as well. He also wore glasses, but everything else about him covered up that sign of weakness.

Right away Asuka knew, just by looking at them, that they were fighters. Being that her father owned a dojo, fighters surrounded her all the time.

6-year-old Asuka was sitting on her front steps, watching the movers and the new family settling in their new home. While his parents were away, the little boy wandered over to the sidewalk, just across Asuka. She watched him closely, as he picked on the sidewalk with his sneaker, and unexpectedly, he looked up, right at Asuka.

For a while they just stared at each other. Asuka stared right back, unblinking. She was able to outstare everyone, even the boys in her neighborhood, no matter what their age or height or who they were. But the boy just stared back at her, and if she didn't know any better, she could have sworn that the boy glared at her. His cold gaze that formed a hard yet distinct glare made her blink in surprise. Then he looked away.

Suddenly Asuka felt a hand on her shoulder. Gazing up she saw her father. "C'mon Zuki," he said, "Let's go and meet the new neighbors."

Curious about the boy, she nodded and got up to walk beside her father towards the house.

"Ohayo," her father said bowing in respect before the adults while they did the same. "I live right across street. How do you do?" They bowed as well and shook his outstretched hand.

"Nice to meet you," the man said after introducing himself and his wife. "This is our son, Kenichi. Kenichi, say hi."

The boy, Kenichi, who had not taken his eyes off Asuka when she first came to their yard, looked quickly at Sensei Kazama and hastily said, "Konichiwa," and bowed.

Her father smiled. "This is my daughter, Asuka. She is probably the same age as your son. Is Kenichi your only son?"

"Yes," replied the man, "He is six years old."

"I thought so," her father said. "I believe you two are starting a dojo here as well?"

"Yes, we teach Namikawa Karate…"

They continued talking, and Asuka kept her attention at Kenichi. After another staring contest she smiled. "Hi there," she said cheerfully. "Will you be going to the private school? I am. I used to go the public school but the kids were mean to me, so I switched and now I go there. It's really, really fun, you'll have a lot of fun there if you go there, are you going to be in the first grade? I'm in the first grade. If you are then maybe we'll be in the same class, if you're going to the private school, what school are you going to?" She said this all really fast.

Kenichi blinked in surprise, however, he kept his cool. "I'm in the first grade," he said, "I don't know what school I'll go to."

"Well you should go to the private one. That's where I go now. It's really fun; I have a lot of friends. I didn't like the public school, the kids there were mean to me."

"Why were they mean?" he asked.

She shrugged. "'Cause I was different. My mother died when I was really, really little. I don't know her, but my father misses her lots. And the kids there were really bad, so I tried to tell on them and stuff and we got into lots of fights."

"You fight?" he asked again.

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! I just started. My father owns a dojo where he teaches other people the Kazama style of fighting. We're really, really good!"

"My parents own a dojo also," he said coolly. "I started last year. I bet I'm a better fighter than you."

"Are not!" she said angrily.

"Are too. I started earlier and you're just a girl."

Asuka was fuming. She hated it when boys treated girls differently. "Just 'cause I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm not a good fighter!"

"Sure it does."

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

"Does not!"

"Fine. When the adults aren't around then I'll fight you and show you."

"Fine!" she stuck out her tongue at him and he stuck out his. She made a face at him. He did so as well. This caused her to giggle.

"What!" he asked.

"Because!" she giggled, "You look funny like that!"

"Are you saying I look weird?" he demanded.

"Nu-uh! You always look serious and mean, but when you make faces you look different!"

He considered what she said. "I don't mean to look mean."

"Well you are," she said, "Like when you said I was a bad fighter. You don't even know how I fight!"

"Fine then," he said.

"Say your sorry then," she teased.

"No!" he said, angry.

"All right, all right. But you're still weird."

"Well so are you. I bet you're really dumb."

"No I'm not!"

"Ok, fine. Gomen nasai."

"All right then."

"Asuka," her father called out for her. "Let's go now."

She nodded. Then she turned to Kenichi. "I'll see you tomorrow. Then I'll fight you!"

He nodded. "All right. Sayonara."

As Asuka walked by her father back to their house, he asked her, "So, did you make friends with Kenichi?"

She thought a moment, realizing she didn't even know if Kenichi was her friend or not. She shrugged. "He's kinda mean," she said, "But not really."

Her father looked curious. "So do you like him?"

She paused. _He's different_, she thought, _but..._

_I still don't know if he was my friend or not. And to this day, Kenichi still remains a mystery. But I do know one thing: on the first day of First Grade when he entered my classroom, he became my rival. He was my match, my equal, and my enemy. Now, however, he is my most trusted ally._

_I would not be the same without him. I have grown to share a mutual respect towards him, despite the fact he was my ultimate and hated rival. And because of him, that to this day of my death, I still share that sense of trust, despite his enigmatic being. There are just so many soul mates you don't get a chance to meet in life. He was my soul mate..._

**Sachi Gosetsuke**: hahaha! I finally proved that Asuka does in fact mean birds: "soaring bird" or "flying bird"…it also means sweet fragrance or something and they said that this one girl in an anime show named Asuka acted all tough and stuff like our Asuka, yet in the inside she was shy and insecure. Can you believe it? Well **review** please!


	3. Ch 3 :: Awoken Slumber

**Sachi Gosetsuke**: Listen up, and listen good, 'cause this is the only time I'm gonna say it: there are no _**official**_ pairings that involve Asuka as of now. Ok? Get that off my chest…

And another thing: if you like Kenichi so much, thank **Psychoblue** - he created him, not me!

**NCTeKkEn08**: aww…(blush) best review ever!

**Disclaimer**: Asuka, Devil, and any other Tekken characters are all Namco's. Everything else is **mine** – _except_ - **Jean Sorel** and **Kenichi Masamune**. Those are Psychoblue's OC.

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Ch : 3 Awoken Slumber

* * *

**_A year_** has passed since the fifth Iron Fist Tournament…

The sky turned black, bathed in crimson blood. The city of Tokyo was surrounded by people, frightened, confused, not knowing what evil would erupt in a matter of minutes…too foolish and unaware to know…that they would all soon be perished…

Over at the tall sky scraper of Tokyo Tower, a young man, in his mid-twenties, with sheer blonde hair in a scarlet pony-tail, muttered an incantation, trapped in his own shell, unaware that the demon within him was controlling him, as a puppeteer to a mindless puppet. As he continued in his monotone, doubled voice the incantation, the figure in front of him, cast away in the shadows, began to shake uncontrollably as the pupils of her eyes turned to fiery slits.

There stood towering over the figure a creature with bat-like wings, red eyes and purple skin…a creature so evil, so fearsome, that it was said that God Himself had banished his dark soul away to the depths of Hell…the creature was the Devil.

The Devil grinned evilly as he watched as the ancient symbols begin to spread throughout the mortal's body: eyes glowing red and with red blood, seeping down her face as if tears of horrific pain.

The man's voice grew louder, as the dark clouds in the sky began to grow; the blood-red sun (that gave off no such light) began to illuminate the sky with its vast crimson color throughout the black sky. The girl's screams couldn't have been louder as the markings on her glowed an eerie red, shining through her ripped tank top and jeans.

Her screams amplified as two horns pierced through her head outward, and her hands – no longer hands, but – _talons_ – grew as well. As if to show the evil that was taking over her, her screams grew louder, yet almost as if in ecstasy.

And as the man's doubled-voice, crying with enthusiasm now as he began to finish the evil incantation, the process became complete as two, raven-feathered wings sprouted from her back.

The Devil laughed in triumph for now no one could stop him; he had completed the prophecy…

Everything was coming according to plan…as long as the girl, 18 year-old Asuka Kazama would not, of course, kill him in the end…

* * *

Asuka Kazama woke up slowly. 

She stood still, tangled up in warm sheets. It was dim out, and her eyes remained wide with confusion and fear.

_Where am I?_

Along with the lingering presence of her nightmare, her fear and confusion became clear. She took in her surroundings. She was nestled in warm white bed sheets in a full mattress bed. Along with the white sheets were soft, feather pillows in blue cozy pillow sheets. By the looks of the soft faded sunlight seeping through blue curtains in a nearby window, it was around 7:00 AM.

Slowly the fog began to lift.

She stood up slowly in her confusion, no longer as puzzled, and no longer afraid, as the reminiscent of her nightmare began to fade off. She was in her room as usual; it was just another normal day, starting off weirdly after a strange, yet terrifying dream.

Dream...

Unconsciously she lifted her hand to massage the nape of her neck - only to find it completely bare. Panicked, she dove her hand underneath her pillows, only to find it empty as well. Hastily, she began to search underneath the sheets. But then she stopped her search, realizing where she had placed her necklace.

Sighing, she got up and walked over to her dark wooden dresser and reached her jewelry box. She received the beautiful jewelry box when she was little, by her father's friend who had built it for her. It was a polished rosewood box about the size of a shoebox, with ornate hinges. It was a lustrous deep crimson red and dark brown, with interior dark purple felt to store her treasures. The lid bore a beautiful inlaid design of a rose.

Asuka opened it carefully, twisting the small silver key already placed inside its matching silver lock - purposely placed in at all times by Asuka, ready to unlock the box. She lifted the lid and took out a golden chain necklace with a rectangular golden locket.

Just holding and staring at the necklace gave Asuka a sense of peace. Her mother, who deceased when she was barely a year old, had given the necklace to her. She doesn't know anything about her mother, and her father never talks about her. She knew that the memory of his beloved wife probably still haunts him. Asuka remembered quite clearly when her father had decided to finally give the necklace to her.

_It was the night before her 8th birthday, and Asuka still didn't know where her father had hidden her present this year. Not that she was able to find it before; but she had been searching throughout the house all day, and she couldn't find a trace of birthday gift._

"_What did Otousan give me this year? She asked herself. "Where could he have hidden it?"_

_Finding nothing in the house of brightly colored wrapping paper or even a friendly birthday card, she mustered up her courage to search her father's office. Her father's office was off-limits to her, yet desperate times calls for desperate measures, and her father was teaching at the dojo._

_I'll make it quick! _

_Tiptoeing towards the office (even though the only adult around was Mrs. Sanada who was in the kitchen), she quickly came inside and closed the door, careful not to make a sound. She peered inside his bookshelves. Nothing. She peeked inside his small closet. Still nothing. Moving to his desk, she opened his drawers and one by one began pawing through them carefully, though each item inside held no interest for her. _

"_Where is it!" She was about to close the last drawer when she caught a glimpse of gold in the back of it. Curious, she opened it fully._

_A necklace?_

_She picked it up with tender care. At the end of the chain was a golden rectangle locket. Spellbound, she held it out to the light. Though simple and plain, to Asuka it was the most beautiful and mysterious object she had ever seen. _

"_Asuka?" her father spoke from the doorway._

_Startled, she spun around and dropped the necklace at her feet. "I...I was looking for my birthday gift..." she said, her voice getting quieter and quieter. She held down her head, unable to meet his eyes, knowing she had betrayed his trust._

_After what seemed like an eternity, he said in a soft, yet leveled voice, "Pick up the necklace, Asuka."_

_She did so. Her father walked in, gently taking the necklace from her. "Asuka, you must learn to respect other people's privacy. This necklace is very special. If you had lost it..."_

_Her father's quiet voice made Asuka feel even worse. "I'm sorry Otousan. Really, I am..."_

_He gazed at her for several seconds. "We'll talk about this some other time. Right now Mrs. Sanada needs help setting the table."_

_Nodding, she hurried to the kitchen, where she was silent throughout the day._

_The next morning, she received no birthday gift. She didn't expect one; the necklace seemed very important to her father. But he didn't even say Happy Birthday to her. Sadden, she trudged up the stairs to her room after dinner, where she saw a birthday card on her pillow. On the card was a simple riddle. Before she solved the riddle, however, she grinned._

_A treasure hunt!_

_Her father had done this to her last year's birthday. Eagerly, she spent less than ten minutes on the riddle and solved it, where the answer led her to another part of the house. There she found another note with another riddle, and that one took her a little longer to solve. Asuka darted wildly, going back and forth throughout the house, solving all the riddles. The last one directed her back to her room, and at her doorway she stopped in her tracks. Inside was a shining pink and blue bicycle with a white ribbon tied on each handle bar. And dangling from one handlebar was the golden necklace. She shrieked with delight and reached her bike, taking the necklace off and examining it once more._

"_I'm glad you like your new bike," her father said smiling from the corner of her room. "Tomorrow we will ride your bike. Happy Birthday, my dear Asuka."_

_The next day, while wearing her new necklace her father taught her how to ride, running beside her in the sidewalk. While accidentally steering over her front lawn, she lost her balance and fell, and they both fell, rolling and laughing on the grass._

_Asuka hugged her father. "Otousan," she said, "Thank you so much. I'm sorry for going into your office."_

"_I know dear. You're forgiven. I can't possibly stay mad at you. Besides," he reached over to her necklace, "I was planning to give you that necklace all along."_

"_You were?" She asked._

"_Yes. You see..." he paused, and he smiled sadly. "That necklace belonged to your mother. When you were born, she told me to give that to you when you were older. And after yesterday, I decided that it was the right time."_

"_That necklace," he said to her, his sad smile never faltering "Was very special to your mother. And when you were born, she specifically wanted to give that to you. So I want you to take care of the necklace. Ok?"_

_Asuka nodded. "I will."_

After that day, she never took it off. It had become one of her most prized possessions. But when she opened it, however, it revealed a single photo; it was old, yet kept neatly within the confines of the trinket. It was a picture of two people she had never met before; a beautiful young woman, with the same auburn hair as Asuka, clad in lavender kimono. In her arms was a baby boy with jet-black hair. She had asked about the people; however, she never got a straight answer from him. Perhaps it hurt him to remember even her mother's close relatives.

The necklace gave a sense of luck and faith to her. Without it, she would have a bad day. And even as a child, she had forgotten how to unlatch the necklace off her neck, having worn it for so long and never taken it off. She would even wear it to bed. Last night, however, was one of the rare times she had taken it off.

_Perhaps that's why I always wear it at night too_, she thought to herself, _to chase my nightmares away._ With the necklace, she always felt that wherever she went, her mother was there, watching out for her. To make sure her day stayed bright; or perhaps to prevent nightmares at night.

In fact, last night was one of the few times that she had a dream and remembered it. Asuka would usually sleep restfully throughout the night. And even if she dreamt, it was always vague and peaceful, and when she would wake in the morning, she couldn't remember a thing.

But thinking back at her horrific dream last night, Asuka couldn't remember it anymore. But the fear was clear enough...

But her dream did not start out that way. She remembered clearly how she was soaring through the clouds, going slowly at first, and then picking up speed...then something strange happened; it all went bright, and suddenly she was reliving a memory. The day when Kenichi moved in across the street from her...

She smiled at the memory. Overtime, Kenichi had become one of her perfect and greatest rival. He was her match, her greatest equal. They quarreled and competed in absolutely everything, yet matched exactly: fighting, school, righting wrongs and stopping street fights. They proved to each other that they were each equally great fighters, matched in every way. And they were more than determined to be better than the other.

Yet strangely enough, they had gained a mutual respect towards one another, despite the constant arguments that gave more than a few headaches to their parents and friends. They had gotten over their petty pranks to each other during their childhood, and just worked their way to become greater than the other. To onlookers, they seemed like friends; and to others they seemed like hated enemies. And even to _others_, by the way they always argued over the little things, they were like an old married couple. But even they couldn't decide whether they were friends or not; certainly not a couple. But they didn't exactly loathe each other to death...

It is safe to say, that as they matured over the years, they had gotten over "hating" each other as children.

But after that dream...everything changed, and her nightmare began...

She shook her head to herself. It was a mystery, a strange dream she just wanted to forget.

Asuka stared at herself in the mirror. Barely 17 years old, her slightly tussled auburn hair hung just above her shoulders. For a 17-year-old girl, she sure looked quite mature. To immature and perverted guys, she was the perfect porn-star modeler. To others she was a goddess. Either way, she was neither. Asuka was certainly the type to feel insecure deep down because of her distracting yet gorgeous features. She was the one who just never really knew how beautiful she really was, whether she tried to look good-looking or not. And for a 14-year-old girl going through high school, it certainly wasn't easy for her having a very noticeable eyeballing bust!

With the golden locket hanging down her neck, her pajamas were quite simple; last night she was too tired to care what she wore. She had just thrown on her already-worn navy blue baby-T and did not wear any pants, showing off her pale blue lace underwear.

Asuka took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. Her teacher once told her that it was important to keep looking forward. _Don't look back; you're not going that way_. Though Asuka had a seemingly perfect childhood, there were times when she questioned the life she was living. However, Asuka found it extremely important to put the past behind her.

She opened her eyes and smiled at herself in the mirror. No time to be thinking about petty nightmares, or fond memories; the future needed to be ready, and there was reality to concentrate on.

Asuka began to open her drawers for new clothes.

It was time to start her day.

**Sachi Gosetsuke**: Dan Brown's _The Da Vinci Code_ obviously inspired me here with the "treasure hunt." You may find reference to those treasure hunts throughout the story.


	4. Ch 4 :: Idol Images

**Sachi Gosetsuke**: So, my excuse for lack of update, even though I have most of the chapters written? Well my computer is broken. It still is. And I am very, very frustrated because all the files in it will get deleted when the computer fixes. So no promises about any other updates, and I doubt that I'll be here for a while. And another thing that pisses the hell out of me: I don't have a spell checker here. So deepest, deepest apologies for the grammar and spelling! Cut me some slack please!

**xjmaster**: now, let's not get arrogant here...

**Disclaimer**: Asuka and any other Tekken characters you see are all property of Namco - _except_ - the OCs and the story - but OC **Kenichi** is Psychoblue's.

---------------------------------------

_Ch. 4_: Idol Images

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_**Pitter patter**, pitter patter_, went the rain as it hit the windows. The young girl sighed as she watched the rain drip down along the window sill.

It was expected to have a rainy afternoon in the middle of April - but it was down-right depressing when it did rain on the day of a soccer game. 9-year-old Asuka was looking forward to the game, and that morning when she saw rays of sunshine seep through her window curtains, she ran down stairs in her soccer jersey, elated and too eager to wait for the afternoon to come.

And when the clock chimed 2 o'clock, Asuka's ears were met with thunderstorm, and lightning flashed throughout the area...

Asuka flopped down on the couch on her back, her head hanging upside-down above the floor.

_I must have done something to the weather man_, she thought. Though she did occasionally yell outloud in front of the weather channel, it was either from praise or insult. The month of June brought whoops in triumph that Asuka would be able to go swimming that day. Last week she called the weather man a moron for cold weather.

_If we have a thunderstorm on the day of the soccer tournament, I think I'll hang myself. _**1**

Clearly on mopy days, boreing days, depressing days, and bad days, Asuka's sarcasm level hits a high 15 on a scale of one to ten.

(**A/N**: Jeeze, I feel like turning on the radio to listen to the song "Bad Day.")

She sighed, and flipped onto her stomach to stare out the window.

"Asuka."

Carelessly, she turned her head to acknowledge her housekeeper and good friend, Mrs. Sanada. The 50-year-old woman stood at the doorway, arms folded, leaning against the doorframe.

"Just what do you think you're doing?"

Asuka turned back to the window.

"Tap dancing."

Mrs. Sanada clicked her tongue. "Ah, that's what you youngsters call "sarcasm." Well, while you stare out the window there, you should know that there are about a hundred things you could be doing right now."

Asuka looked at her with mock interest. "Such as?"

"Cleaning the attic."

Asuka winced. She hated cleaning. Whenever Mrs. Sanada saw her doing nothing and being lazy, she usually sent her to do some errands or give her chores to do. Errands, she didn't really mind much (it gave exuses to go from door to door, possibly a free oppurtunity to "visit" her rival); cleaning, she did. Especially if it involved places like the attic. She went inside there once, in hopes of finding her old roller blades. The attic was full of cobwebs, dust, and enough spiders and creepiness to share the world with. She felt like she had walked inside a horror movie.

"Now, you don't have to sweep there or anything," Mrs. Sanada said, "I just want you to sort out those boxes up in there."

Asuka resisted the urge to groan. Organization. Who needs it?

"Is it mandatory to do so?"

Mrs. Sanada smiled. "You are the only one here. Besides, I think you might find some stuff up there interesting.

------------------------------

Asuka kneeled down the box. She had spent less than twenty minutes up inside the attic. She grinned as she knew that it was the last one.

_Talk about spring cleaning._

As she kneeled beside it, she grimaced at her soccer shorts, noting all the dust it had gathered from the floor.

_There's enough dust up here to quilt a blanket,_ she thought with disgust as she dusted herself for the millionth time.

_Maybe after all this is done, I can_-

She stopped in mid-thought when she opened up the box.

Inside were albums. Strange, unfamiliar, and very old ones that she had never seen before.

Her grin broaden. _Cool_, she thought, since she liked to look at albums.

She took out the first one carefully and brought it under the small ray of light the spilled through the small, rounded window Asuka liked to call the "porthole."

Carefully, she opened up the album to the first page, careful not to rip the old pages.

What she saw made her grin evaporate.

She was looking at baby pictures. It was a baby album, full of things like hair ribbons, pictures (of course), baby certificates, 1st birthday invatations, etc. She had seen her father's own baby album. It ran in the family to really decorate a baby's album with all sorts of things. And the one that she was looking at was exactly set up that way - only, she didn't know who the people were in the photos.

But the only thing that made her so curious, so mystified and spellbound about the baby was the familiarity in her...her dark brown eyes...her face...everything, including her smile.

If Asuka didn't know any better, the baby looked like her when _she_ was little.

Asuka shook her head. _Impossible_.

After inspecting it, she put it aside and turned to the next album. The next one consisted of a young girl - the same baby girl, only now she was grown up. Again, the album showed the same creativity as her own family's - first lost baby teeth, school certificates, class pictures, hair ribbons, and of course, the same endless supply of pictures. As she looked deeper into the photo, she began to recognize some of the people - such as her father's parents, who died way before she was born, kept appearing over and over again. Her own father as a teenager appeared a couple of times with the girl too. And durring several group photos, she saw her father's aunt and uncle in them too. She met her great-aunt in real life when she was little - however, she died when Asuka was seven. Her great-uncle, however, she only knew in photos.

Asuka was mystifed once more. Who was that girl, who looked like her when _she_ was little?

Asuka tried to read some of the certificates and class pictures, but the writing was obviously typed on a typewriter, and it was so old and faded.

When Asuka reached the last few pictures of the girl, the girl was already around her own age. And in her mind, Asuka imagined to look at a mirror to see her relfection - and she compared that image to the mysterious young girl. They looked almost exactly alike with a few misconceptions.

As Asuka began to look at the other photoalbums, she realized that all the albums inside the box consisted of that one girl. And as she poured over them, the girl began to grow older.

She had reached her fourth album when the door to the attic opened, and Asuka was pulled back to reality.

She turned to see her father.

She put down the album.

"Otousan?"

He looked puzzled, and seemed like he had just walked in on a crime scene. He kept looking at her, and to the albums and box, and vice-versa.

"Otousan...I was just cleaning out the attic like Mrs. Sanada told me to...I didn't mean to snoop..." Suddenly, she felt like how she had been snooping through her father's office last year on her birthday, trying to find her birthday gift and instead found her mother's necklace, and her father had walked in.

Nervously, she looked away from his gaze and played with her necklace.

Slowly, her father kneeled down beside her and took the album from her. Asuka turned back to him, and was startled to find the beginings of tears forming behind his eyes. Shocked, she became flusterd and began to apoligise.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything! Please don't cry, I-!"

But to her surprise, he smiled. "Asuka," he said, his voice soft and leveled, yet heavy with emotion, "Do you know who that young girl is?'

Worlessly, she shook her head.

His smiled never wavered and he took out another album from inside the box. "That woman, is a famous relative of yours. Her name is Jun Kazama."

"Jun...what makes her special?"

------------------------------

For the past hour, the two of them have been looking through the albums inside the box, and her father explained to her who Jun Kazama was. Jun happened to be a "goddess" in her family...

_Never had anyone met a heart more pure than hers...any man who laid eyes on her fell in love immiediatly. She had a strong sense of right and wrong - much like you, Asuka. Jun was able to see the beauty within others, even if they could not see it within themselves._

Jun had became an officer of the WWWC - Worldwide Wildlife Conservation - a wildlife officer. She was only 17 years old when she made it to the 3WC Junior Division - and she was only 19 when she made it to become an officer. And at age 22, she became the top opperative of the 3WC.

Jun had been a great martial artist, having mastered judo and aikido at a young age. And she was even able to complete the Kazama-ryu quickly. She was the best Kazama-ryu fighter in the family.

One of her most famous missions was entering the Tekken Iron Fist Tournament. She was on an assingment to investigate the notorious Mishima Zaibatsu's rare animal expierments. It was said that she had gone very far throughout the tournament - however, no one knew if she had succeeded in her mission or not.

"No one knew?" Asuka asked.

Her father shook his head. "Nope," he said, and he hesitantly added, "You see...no one saw her ever again after she entered that tournament."

Asuka gasped softly. "Did she _die_?"

He smiled. "No...I don't think so. Jun always loved nature, you see. That was why she became a conservation officer. But I think, that she just wasn't able to complete her mission, and that she retired to...somewhere...beautiful. Some forest, isolated from the city. Jun always did say she wanted to do that one day...maybe have a family there..."

"Did you _know_ her?" Asuka asked.

Her father sighed wearily. "No," he said slowly, "I never was fortunate enough to get to know her. We were...distant cousins I believe. However, we both grew up in Yakushima Forest, though not together."

"And I believe," he said with a smile, "That Jun's there, in Yakushima, still alive."

Asuka was silent for a moment, awe-strucked. Then she grinned. "When I grow up," she said, "I'm gonna become like Jun Kazama, 3WC top officer! And I'm gonna go to Yakushima, and find her myself!"

"And then," she continued excitedly, "I'll travel the world just like her! And save the forests and the animals! And maybe...maybe I'll complete her mission for her!"

Her father smiled. "You do that," he said. Then he added, a littled wistfull, "She would have liked you, that Jun Kazama...you look a lot like her...you even act a little like her at times...when your not getting into trouble."

Asuka giggled at his last comment. "Is there any more pictures of Jun? Any recent ones? I think Jun is really pretty."

He smiled. "Yes," he said, "I have plenty of them in my office."

By the end of the day, Asuka had decorated her room with some of Jun's pictures. On her wall, was a framed picture of Jun, sitting on a tree. Jun looked about 9 years old like Asuka. Next to that picture frame, was another picture, a recent one, exactly the same size, only different. It was Asuka, sitting on a tree also, sitting exactly the way Jun was. Looking at the two pictures, it seemed almost like a double-image.

Asuka flopped onto her stomach on her bed, staring at the pictures. And she smiled.

One day, she was going to become just like Jun Kazama.

------------------------------

_As I grew up, I looked up to Jun Kazama, seeing her as my childhood idol. Everything about her - I wanted to be exactly like her. Sometimes, whenever I got into trouble, I usually envied Jun for her "perfection." At times I sometimes imagine her to be the mother I never had. Once, I was tempted to ask my uncle if Jun really was my mother - but then I would quickly dismiss that thought, thinking it was too far-fetched, and impossible, and I wasn't lucky enough._

_I still have those two pictures...and also two more near them. Me, standing at the shores of a beach, in a small, elegant yet casual white dress, matching sandals in hand. Next to the frame, exact size was Jun in a similar dress, standing at the shores of a lake, sandals in hand._

_And even to this day, I still keep that vow to myself - to become exactly like my mother_.

**Sachi Gosetsuke**: This chapter was a bit boreing, huh? Well, you can't blame me - I've lost my writer's "fling" after my computer crashed. Well, I just turned on the radio - no "Bad Day," but there's "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" by **Panic! At The Disco** (dances in her seat).

**1** yes, yes, she does seem a but mature and sarcastic for a nine-year-old - but it does suit her, no?


	5. Ch 5 :: Confessions

**Sachi Gosetsuke**: don't ask where I got this title from. I don't think it has much to do with the story at all, but I figured, what the hell. And my computer is fixed! Only thing is is that we have no spell-checker and our computer ate up the next chapter of **Sweet Revenge**. So I stabbed it to death. Since there may be some spelling errors and such, have mercy critics!

**Disclaimer**: Asuka, and any other Tekken characters here are all Namco's, and not mine. Everything else is like the story and my OC **Megumi** - but Kenichi is **Psychoblue's**.

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_Ch. 5_: Confessions

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**_Two teenage_** girls walked along the sidewalk afterschool. They both wore identical private school unioforms: plaid skirts and white polo shirts with yellow sweater vests with their school emblem on the front. One girl, with elbow-length straight black hair streaked with golden and rogue hair dye listened irritably at her friend, who was complaining angrily and loudly. Her friend had short auburn hair, and wore a scowl on her face.

The streaked haired girl sighed with frustration as her friend began to complain once more. "I mean _seriously_!" she was saying, "How is it that my father pays so much for this school for a good education for me, and yet he doesn't realize that this school is a complete and utter joke! Do you know what people call this school?"

"What?" Megumi Hoshi asked her best friend.

"They call it the Pharmacy!1" her friend replied.

She stopped in her tracks. "Huh?"

Her friend, Asuka, 13 years old, looked at her and said a-matter-of-factly, "Yes, the Pharamcy. You know why?"

"Why?"

"Because so many of the high school students at our school are so rich, they can afford to buy and sell drugs throughout the school."

Megumi's eyes widened. "Oh my...I didn't know that!"

"You didn't know that the high schoolers did drugs at our school?"

"I did know that but...why would they call it the Pharamcy? The other high school do drugs too."

"Yes," Asuka said, "But our school, with 8th grade through 12th grade, there are a lot more drug activity going on here. Don't you wonder why police officers monitor our school 24/7 AND have watch dogs? This school has more drug activity going on her than any other high schools!"

Megumi let her words sink in. "You're right..."

"AND," Asuka added scornfully, "There are way too many _sluts _in our school, it's so degrading! Did you know that this one girl in Freshman lost her _virginity_ already? And that there's a rumor going on that someone in our grade is _pregnant_!"

"AND," Asuka continued, not letting Megumi answer, "The kind of people in our school! I mean, our gym teacher is a gay pervert and all the jocks here are basically the perfect stereotype of an actual jock: stupid yet hot, mean and perverted and racist and sexist!"

Before Asuka could continue, Megumi stopped her. "Jeeze Asuka, watch what you're saying! Why are you getting so worked up?"

"Because!" she said, "Today at gym I was getting ready to jump for the balance beam when suddenly this asshole in Sophomore year shouts out, "Since when do eighth graders where water-bras?" He obviously meant me! He cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted at _my _direction. So I lose my balance and fall. Really badly. Look!" She lifted her skirt partway showing an ugy, huge purple bruise on her thigh.

Megumi gasped. "That's why you had to go the nurse's office?"

"Yes," she said feircely. "When I find that guy, I'm gonna kill him! He did that on purpose! I think I stopped him from beating up this small 7th grader."

Megumi shook her head. "Well don't worry about it," she told her friend, "From the way you talked about it, our school must be better than the public schools, right?"

"Yeah," Asuka replied grudgingly. She really did prefer the private schools to her old public school...

--------------------------------------

The halls of the public elementary school remained quiet. It was the end of the day, well after school had let out the students: grades kindergarten through fifth. However, in the school's office sat a a four-year-old girl.

She sat quietly on the bench along the wall, dangling her feet. She wore a blue hoodie and pale pink T-shirt and jeaned shorts. As she dangled her feet wearing her black and white All-Stars Converse shoes, her shoe laces remained untied. She held her head low, letting her parted shoulder-length auburn hair surround her face, covering mostly her right side and ears.

From where she sat, she could hear the entire conversation of her teacher, principal, and father inside the other room. Though she was young, the words that came out clearly from the otherside made her understand her fate: "discipline," "control," and "suspension."

After an eternity, Sensei Kazama walked out the door, along with the rest of the adults. The principal, with kind brown eyes behind his large glasses, looked tough yet distressed. Her teacher, Ms. Kinomoto looked tired and weary as well. Only her father seemed calm enough.

Her father signed some sheets of papers and folded it up, so as not to let his daughter's wandering eyes see them. Though she was still young, her age prooved to be decieving. "Let's go Asuka," he said gently, yet his voice was leveled and firm.

Reluctantly, she got up, her hair still shadowing her face and she timidly held her father's protective hand. Without looking at the teachers, she walked side-by-side with her father.

Once out of the school and at the parking lot, he stopped and turned to his daughter, whose head still hung low. He took her chin to face him, yet Asuka turned her head away. "Asuka," he said gently, "Let me see."

Unwillingly, she obediently faced her father, letting him push away her hair from her face. With both his hands on her face he examined her noticably red scar on the corner of her lip, where he knew her bottom lip would soon swell up. Sighing sadly, he kneeled down and held her close. He asked her, "Oh Asuka...why did you have to fight back?"

Angrily, she jerked back. "Because!" she said feircely, "They were making fun of my friend. They made her cry and I said "stop it!" but they didn't listen. Then they made fun of me so I kicked them!"

"You didn't just kick them," he said, "You kicked and scratched and hit those two boys. You fought with them really hard. And you dislocated one of their arms."

She didn't know what "dislocated" meant, however, she knew that it was serious. "They deserved it though," she said, "Those mean 4th graders. They really did!"

Her father sighed. "Asuka, you know that I don't like you fighting. Why do you always have to fight? Violence doesn't solve anything, and continue this I will not teach you the Kazama-style Self Defense."

Horrified, she argued, "But they were bullies! They were! They always, _always_ pick on first graders, especially me! And they said..."

Sensei Kazama asked, "What did they say to you, Asuka?"

She leaned in, as if telling a dark secret. "They called me bad words," she whispered.

"Bad words?"

"Yes. Really bad! If I said them, you would yell at me..."

"What were those bad words?" he asked in a low voice.

"They called me uh...a _bitch_. I know it's bad but, what does it mean?"

Her father's heart began to swell up with emotion for her. _The world today...it can be so cruel._ "It is a bad word, Asuka. Do not repeat it."

She nodded. "I won't!"

"But sweetheart...what else did they say?"

Asuka casted her eyes down. "They said..."

Her father prompted her. "What?"

She grumbled, "They said I had no mother...they said you found me in a trash can..."

Her words struck a chord in him and he blinked back tears. Once again he embraced her tightly. "Asuka..." he said, his words heavy with emotion, "Don't you ever believe them. Don't you ever think about that, not once. They're lieing."

"I know!" she said. "But that's why I beat them up!"

Her father held her tighter. After a long moment, he made up his mind and said to her, "I'm pulling out of the school. You no longer have to come here ever again."

"No school!" she asked excitedly.

"No, dear," he said, attempting a smile, "You'll go to a different school. A Private one. Where you'll meet new friends and nicer classmates."

"A new school?" she asked wearily. "Will they be nice to me?"

"Absolutly."

She nodded. "Ok."

As they drove back home, her father spoke to her, "But you know Asuka...you're still in trouble."

She nodded guiltily. "I know."

"The principal suspended you for 3 days _again_."

She nodded again.

"But just because you're going to a different school, doesn't mean you're getting off easily. So for the next 3 days you're not going to wander around playing all day."

"What do you mean?"

"Well I have a garden that needs weeding...a housekeeper who needs help...lots of things to do still."

Asuka groaned. "Aw, man!"

------------------------------

_The only reason why I had attended public school in the first place was because of how cheap it was, and of course its reputation for teaching well of course. However my new private school demanded a tighter budget, but if it weren't for that day when I was just in kindergarten, Oji-chan would have definetly not used Kazuya's money to pay for my schooling..._

**Sachi Gosetsuke**: I decided to give you this chapter earlier then I had intended because I'm going to the land of sunny days and white beaches for vacation - and I'm gonna meet Mickey Mouse!

**1** - exact name that they call my high school. lol. No joke.


	6. Ch 6 :: Just Sunday

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_Ch. 6_: Just Sunday

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**_It was_** a quiet Sunday afternoon. Sensei Kazama didn't complain; he had taxes to pay, and he needed all the peace he could get. However, like always, the quieter the house was, the more distracted and suspicious he would get...

Where was the thumping and the screaming and the glass-shattering noise he usually heard from his six-year-old daughter?

Unable to concentrate any longer, he stopped punching in numbers in the calculator and took off his reading glasses. Then he headed towards her room upstairs.

By the time he had reached her door way, he found it wide-open. And what a strange view he saw.

Just a little past his waist were teddy bear slippers - up in the air. Connected to them were a pair of knobby knees with a dinosaur sticker on one knee. And from there were short blue denim overalls and a yellow T-shirt.

What on Earth was Asuka doing, standing on her head against the wall?

"Asuka?" he asked.

She didn't even turn to him. "Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

Her response was simple: "Becoming a woman."

He blinked in surpirse. "What?"

Asuka said as-a-matter-of-factly, "When Mariko came to baby-sit me, she went to the bathroom and stayed there for a long, long, time - longer than Mr. Jiro when he has a newspaper! Then while I was watcing TV she stood on her head like this. I said, "What are you doing?" and she said, "Becoming a woman.""

For a while, Sensei Kazama pondered on her words. It only took a moment for him to realize what was going on. "Asuka...dear," he said, uncomfortable, "I don't suppose you should do that...just yet. In fact, perhaps Mariko didn't need to do that either."

Asuka sat down. "Why?"

"Well...you'll learn soon enough...when you're older. Now," he picked up Asuka onto her feet, "Why don't you go outside?"

Nodding, she ran out. Sensei Kazama sighed. _Only four more years_, he thought, _plenty of time. No worries. But perhaps Mrs. Sanada should talk to her on _that _part of The Talk_.

(**A/N**: tee hee. Got that from _7th Heaven_. Figure it out yourselves!)

Once outside, Asuka ran out to her back yard with her binoculars. She was given them on her birthday by Mrs. Sanada since she was fascinated by birds and loved to birdwatch. However, she always seemed to get into trouble when she grew bored of a bird in its nest and wandered off to the neighbors' windows...

She climbed to her favorite tree. There, she settled down on her stomach on a thick heavy branch and zoomed in on her binoculars onto the front street. First she tried to look for birds on the rooftops; she didn't find any. Then she wandered off to her front door neighbor's house, where she found Kenichi being chastised by his mother.

_Probably for trying to steal my bike and hide somewhere like last time_, she thought. Then she zoomed in to her father's dojo. There, she saw a black sports car, and a tall figure climbing out. She zoomed in closer. Asuka only saw the back of his head. He had black hair and a single spike sprouting out. He wore a black leather jacket. Asuka noted that it looked like the kind of jacket she saw in _The Matrix_ - a video one of her baby-sitters had been watching, though she wasn't allowed to watch the rest of it. Then the man turned around and took off his sunglasses. He stared straight at her.

She gasped out loud. He _was_ looking straight at her! She quickly dropped her binoculars and lost her balance on the tree - but she quickly redeemed herself and fell out gracefully on her feet...only to then lose her balance and fall on her rear.

That man...he was simply terrifying. First of all, he had a permanent scowl on his face, with cold serious eyes. And also his left eye was odd enough. If asuka didn't know any better, she would have said that it looked..._red_...

Yet there was something familiar about the man...something...Asuka couldn't define what she felt. _Intuition?_ she thought. The girls at the dojo talked about it one time, yet Asuka didn't know what it meant. But whatever she felt, she was really curious about the man, and decided to go to the dojo for herself.

Once there, she realized that her father had already beaten her to it. A few of the students, who came regularly to train, lingered inside, interested in the heated argument their sensei was having with the stranger.

"I only came here to see if it was true!" the man was saying, "Jun had been sending me letters non-stop, and now it seems she wasn't lieing."

"I forbid you to see her!" her father yelled. This made Asuka scared. She had never seen her father so mad before. "I don't care if you don't say a word to her, but if she sees you -"

"Too late."

A voice from behind her made her jump and turn around to see Mrs. Sanada, who had followed her.

"Asuka!" her father exclaimed, obviously shocked and angry, "Go to your room!"

"What!" she argued, "But I -!"

"No buts! Go NOW!"

Pouting, she turned her heel and left, not noticing how the man's eyes had not left her since he was informed of her prescence.

_I didn't know it then, but the man was Kazuya Mishima, my father. My mother had been sending him letters for the past three months, informing him of my birth and that I was with my uncle. At first he did not believe her - he thought it was just another way of having him come to see her. But she wouldn't stop writing to him, and when she mentioned that I was at Osaka with her brother, he decided to see for himself - and found me._

_Before he left, he gave a check to my father - a payment for my private schooling. He had decided to pay for my entire schooling for him..._

**Sachi Gosetsuke**: I'm back! Florida was awesome. My brothers say I look black, lol (not being racist here). I would've updated sooner, but I had a hard time trying to open up this file on my floppy. So please, review!


	7. Ch 7 :: All Hallows Eve

**Sachi Gosetsuke:** silly me. I forgot **disclaimer** in the last chapter. I don't own Tekken. Period.

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_Ch. 5_: All Hallows Eve

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_You all may still be very confused with my life. Like why am I about to die? Well it's quite simple: I was never meant to be born._

_On the day I was born, I was forced to live with my Uncle, live a lie, just for my protection. I don't regret that anymore. However, I needed to be protected from the _Akuma; _Devil's spirit, still wanting to become whole once more..._

_Though I was safe living with my Uncle in Osaka, it was only temporarily. Unknown to them, a prophecy was to be made. That prophecy consisted of my existence; the result of their secret and forbidden affair._

_My mother had only wanted to purify Kazuya's soul. In the process she fell in love with him, and conceived my brother Jin. However, she _was_ able to purify his soul. She was, after all, an angel, sent from the heavens, meant only to find Kazuya. But because of Heihachi, Kazuya was forced to give into Devil once more._

_But because of the forbidden union of a Devil and Angel, their offspring was already in danger by many things: the living power given to them at birth (the genes of an Angel and Devil) and of course the lingering soul of Devil, trapped inside a human form; my father. Devil wished to be whole...and he already had two choices to chose from..._

_Obviously he needed someone very strong...and according to prophecy, there was one offspring who was born with special powers, more powerful than the Angel and Devil Gene combined, that were used for either two things: to join Devil, and destroy the human race, only to be killed by Devil later...or: to kill Devil...and destroy the world..._

_Prophecy stated that the offspring were stronger than what Devil had before and after he joined Kazuya...and these powers would react once the Devil power within was reacted by the simple essence of Devil: the tattoo that marked the progeny of Devil. This was obviously the "Devil Gene." The only cure was for the Angel Gene, passed on by Jun, to become dominant. But of course, because of my parents affair, they passed on both genes to my brother and I; we are half and half, already stronger then Devil and Angel._

_However the offspring that the prophecy points to had powers so strong that it is said to be able to perish the Earth...along with itself. This offspring had a limited fate; it wasn't meant for this Earth...its only destiny was to die._

_So Devil had two choices to choose from: Jin or me. He needed the strongest one._

_Prophecy proved that he was going to choose me. _

**_The night_** air was crisp and cool, with a shivery breeze blowing in here and there. The white full moon set high against the black skyline with a few stars out that night. It was late out on the night of All Hallows Eve.

That night, in recognition of All Hallows Eve, the carnival was in town. Everyone in the city of Osaka came; children of all ages dragging their parents left to right. Teenagers huddled in groups, gossiping, chatting freely and enjoying their time. And couples, walking around hand in hand, with the gentlemen desperately trying to win their girlfriends a prize from the rigged carnival games.

That night, near the front entrance by the ticket booths were two 16-year-old girls.

...Can you guess who they were?

"You sure he's coming here Zuki?" Megumi asked Asuka for the umpteenth time.

"Yes, Megumi, I am sure that he is coming." Asuka replied calmly, yet in an impatient tone.

"Well then, he's late."

That day during gym, Asuka's class had to run the mile. Her archenemy Kenichi was of course part of her class. For fun, they decided to make a bet.

"If I make it to the last lap before you," Kenichi was telling her, "Then you have to run for 15 minutes around my dojo."

"And if I win?" Asuka asked.

"If you win?" Kenichi paused then smiled evilly. "You're call." Of course, the only reason why Kenichi said this was because he had every confidence he would win.

"Hmm." Asuka said deep in thought. She would have loved nothing better than for Kenichi to experience the worst public humiliation, with him confessing how he really does in fact like their French Foreign Language teacher (you can already guess what language she teaches them, right?). However, she wouldn't do that...yet.

"All right," she said, making up her mind, "If I win, you have to come with me and Megumi to the carnival tonight."

"That's all?" Kenichi asked.

"AND," she added, "You have to pay for everything. And when I say everything..." she grinned evilly, "I mean _everything_. And you know that carnivals are pretty pricey."

"Fine," he said.

"Shake on it," Asuka prompted, taking out her hand.

He shook her hand firmly. "Deal."

...By now you know who won, right?

Asuka looked down at the defeated Kenichi, who had collapsed in a sweaty heap on the grass in mock despair. However he winced, knowing that carnivals were in fact, pretty pricey, and he didn't have that much money on him...which meant that whatever he couldn't buy, he was in debt to her.

Asuka looked down at him and grinned triumphantly. "Meet us there tonight. 8 o'clock sharp. Front Gates. Be there."

...So there they were, front gates, waiting.

Asuka looked at her watch: 8:20. _Kenichi, if you decided you had better things to do --_

"Where IS he!" Megumi asked.

Sighing with frustration, Asuka looked around the around the crowd, imagining a 16-year-old with unruly chestnut brown hair and blue eyes hurrying through the crowd, probably a bit irritable with traffic or something...

Asuka blinked. She was probably imagining too hard because her mind was playing tricks on her and making her see exactly that, happening right now. However, she knew it was in fact real by the way Megumi went, "Rrrrrgh!" and marched right up to Kenichi.

"And where exactly were you!"

"Yeah really," Asuka added, "You're twenty minutes late!"

Kenichi simply replied, "Traffic." Asuka needed her head checked.

"Well come _on_!" Megumi said, grabbing both their arms and hurrying towards the ticket booth, "HIM is probably here already!"

"Yeah really. I _love _HIM."

Kenichi looked lost. "Him? Who? Her?"

Asuka rolled her eyes. "It's a band. We love HIM."

"Her?"

Asuka mentally slapped her forehead.

HIM was actually an American Gothic/Rock/Metal band, enjoyed profusely by Asuka and Megumi (**A/N**: and a very good one too. GO HIM!)

After paying for tickets, they traveled back and forth between roller coasters and rigged games while waiting for HIM to start playing. Kenichi of course, paid for everything, including the glow-in-the-dark lights that Asuka and Megumi twisted around their arms and necks.

"Hey!" Megumi exclaimed, "There's a fortune teller!"

Asuka rolled her eyes. "'Gumi hon, I hate to say this but those gypsies are nothin' but liars."

"Aw, c'mon, let's just get our fortunes told, just for fun."

Asuka sighed. "Fine," she gave in, allowing Megumi to drag her and a poor Kenichi towards the dark and purple booth.

They went inside, greeted by a strong smell of sherry and scented candles and other strange herbs and spices that made Asuka want to sneeze. Megumi led the way (with Kenichi at the rear) and pulled back the thick purple curtain aside.

Inside was a small round table with matching purple cloth over it, and a woman with "bohemian" type clothes and large golden-hooped earrings and shawls reading a magazine. In front of her was a fogged crystal ball. It was dim inside, with only the several scented candles for light.

She looked up, bored, and then pointed to the nearby sign that read TWO AT A TIME.

Kenichi held his hands up. "I'll go," he said, obviously not regretting it.

Before leaving, he handed the money to Asuka who paid the "gypsy."

"My name is Nefrattiri," she said in a mystic voice once they say down. They glanced at each other, trying to hold back their eye rolling.

"My name originated in Ancient Egypt," she said, "'Tis where I learned the mystic powers of psychic and looking in the Beyond."

"My customers must see their fortunes alphabetically by their first name," she said, "So who goes first?"

Asuka smiled, trying to hold in her laughter. "I do," she said.

The lady smiled. "Very well...what is your name, dear?"

"Asuka."

"_Asuka_... 'Soaring bird,' right?"

She shrugged. "All right then," she said briskly.

Then she clapped her hands the light dimmed even lower. "Now then...look inside the crystal ball...and tell me: _what do you see_?"

Asuka squinted inside the foggy crystal ball through the darkness. Slowly the smoke inside began to clear. "I see...uhh...a guy?"

"A guy?" Nefrattiri repeated, puzzled.

"Yeah...black hair...definitely Asian...um...looks uptight...spiky hair, really spiky, that's weird, he must have to use eight bottles of hair gel to get it that spiky..."

"Ooh," Megumi said, "Maybe he's your dream guy."

Asuka shook her head, rolling her eyes. "I doubt it," she said, "But he looks kinda familiar."

"Hmm..." she murmured closing her eyes. Then she said, "All right...give me your hand...dominant hand, dear..."

Asuka did. Nefrattiri examined the lines in her skin with curiosity and crucially. For a while she didn't speak. Slowly her eyes began to narrow. "You were born in...Late summer, right?"

"Yeah," Asuka said. She continued looking at her hand, humming to herself, and Asuka resisted the urge to snatch her hand back. Nefrattiri seemed pretty interested in Asuka's "future."

Asuka glanced at Megumi who shrugged.

"Hmm..." Nefrattiri said, and suddenly it seemed as if she was searching for something on Asuka's hand. Then she gasped loudly, startling Asuka.

"My dear..." she whispered breathlessly, "You have no fore lines..."

"Huh?" she asked, lost.

"Why...you, my girl," she said, staring deep into her eyes, "You were never meant to be born."

"What!" exclaimed Asuka.

The gypsy stared at her hand a moment longer. Then she gave a shuddering gasp.

"The _akuma_!" she cried. "The Devil's Mark!" Her eyes went wide. "Oh God. Oh God, Oh God, oh...so much pain...so dark..."

"What the hell are you talking about lady!" Megumi demanded angrily.

"_Death_!" she exclaimed and clutched Asuka's hand. "Your future...is limited...I saw _death_...you were never meant to be born..."

"Let go of me!" Asuka demanded and she pulled away from her grasp.

Megumi glared at her. "You don't sell this shit to people," she said, and she pulled Asuka out of there, taking the money back with her, "C'mon..."

"Death..." she repeated back at Asuka, "Is your destiny. Watch out...for the Akuma's mark..."

Once outside, the two girls were both upset. "Can you believe that lady?" Megumi exclaimed angrily, "The nerve! You don't say that kind of stuff to people!"

"What's going on?" Kenichi asked, looking at Megumi's glowering stare. Then he teased with a sly grin, "Bad futures huh? So what is it, Asuka, gonna marry a hobo?" But he stopped, when Asuka walked away from them, silent.

"What?" Kenichi asked, puzzled. Not letting Megumi answer, he ran back to Asuka.

"Asuka!" he called out, reaching her. "Asuka!"

She ignored him. Asuka had been silent and deep in thought ever since they left the so-called "gypsy."

_Your future...is limited...I saw _death...her words kept ringing in her head.

_She's lying_, Asuka thought, _she's just some crack-whore trying to get fast cash..._But what startled Asuka the most was how she had played a very convincing act...and the fact that she guessed her birthday correctly...

_Akuma...the Devil_, she thought. What did she mean by the Devil's Mark?

"Asuka."

She turned and saw Kenichi right next to her. He smiled reassuringly. "Hey," he said, "Cheer up Asuka! I was just kidding...look if that lady was actually right, then I would have known already that you were gonna end up marrying a hobo or something...and don't worry, I'd stop you first to let you know that you were insane."

Asuka stared at him. Then she laughed.

This caused Kenichi to feel relieved.

"No," she said, after she stopped, "I'm not gonna marry a hobo..."

"Then what did she say?"

Asuka sighed, and turned away. "She was ranting on about the Akuma and stuff...and...she said she saw death in my future...and I was never meant to be born."

He remained silent, and she continued sighing, "I know I shouldn't believe her but...you know, my mother died giving birth to me...and even my father said to me once that I was his "miracle baby." Kept saying how much he had wanted me and...well...it just makes me wonder..."

"Asuka," he said, "Don't believe that woman. She's crazy, she was just trying to make money, I bet she does that to everyone."

Asuka merely stared straight ahead.

"Hey."

Kenichi's soft voice made her look back at him. "Don't Asuka." Kenichi said. "Don't you think once about it, ok, don't you think on it."

Asuka nodded slowly. "C'mon," he said, "Cheer up, 'k? Look, when your time comes...you'll be 100 years old and rotting old and not to mention ugly as hell and you'll die peacefully in your sleep."

The way he had said it so casually made her laugh, causing him to smile a little. "So," he said, placing his hands in his pockets, "What's next on the list?"

Megumi, who was watching them from afar, smiled at how Asuka laughed and Kenichi smiled. _One of these days_, she thought, _once those two stop trying to kill each other and stop biting each other's head...they're gonna confess their love for each other and get married and have a house full of kids_.

Asuka opened her mouth to speak, when she stopped at the familiar chords of a guitar to an opening song and squealed. "HIM! It's my favorite song, c'mon!"

Retrieving Megumi, she pulled the two over to the band where HIM played the song "Behind the Crimson Door."

_We hide behind the crimson door_

_While the summer is killed by the fall_

_Alive behind the crimson door_

_While the winter sings:_

_"Your love will be the death of me" (Death of me)_

...Your love will be the death of me.

**Thee**: They do call my high school the Pharmacy. Yes, from time to time, there are policemen there...lol shocking I know, but hey, it's high school XD

**Psychoblue**: yes, I know there's a lot of grammar and spelling errors in chapter 4. I didn't have a spellchecker, and I thought I had begged for mercy then...


	8. Ch 8 :: In the Name of Justice

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_Ch. 7_: In the Name of Justice

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_As I said before, I actually am a little glad that Feng Wei chose to come to my uncle's dojo. The Chinese fighter could have easily gone to Kenichi's, yet he chose mine. And because of that, my Uncle ended up in the hospital and I entered the tournament in order to try and find him._

_But before I joined the tournament, I pushed my potential past the limit and trained myself like never before. And I didn't go through it alone._

_Surprisingly Kenichi came to my aid, helping me become better. His encouraging words and vast wisdom seemed to really strengthen me both physically and mentally. Through that, we became increasingly closer, and he became my trusted ally._

_I didn't know it at the time, but Kenichi secretly wanted me to become stronger in order to fight and defeat me in the most honorable way possible. Yet I couldn't see it, but a mysterious force was evolving around us two…_

**_Asuka stared_** anxiously at the clock, almost begging it with her eyes to hurry up. Was it just her imagination, or was the second hand moving slower than it normally does?

It was the end of the day, and not only that, but the end of school. And if that weren't enough, it was the end of the entire senior year for 17-year-old Asuka. It felt so strange to her; the past year had come like a blur to her, almost all like a dream.

She was soon to be going to Tokyo for college, where she had also been accepted to the Junior Division of the Worldwide Wildlife Conservation. It had been her childhood dream to become a wildlife officer, and she was finally reaching her goal. Asuka had been elated when she received the letter in the mail. Visions of jungles of Cambodia and mountains of New Zealand crossed her mind; she was finally going to travel the world. The ties that bound her in place in her home were about to be loosened...in a matter of five minutes...

But it felt strange; she, Asuka Kazama, freshman in college already? She was 17! Of course, she was going to be 18 pretty soon, since she had the latest birthday in her entire grade. But it was scary and exciting for everyone: their futures were almost unlimited now that they had graduated, and in 3 minutes Asuka and the rest of the no-longer Senior class were going to pursue their life-long dreams...

The clocked ticked on. Asuka played with the golden chain of her necklace and smoothed out her skirt. _Relax Asuka!_ She thought. Whenever she got nervous or excited she never seemed able to sit still and would fiddle with her necklace.

Asuka thought back to last night. It was just after she had gotten home after graduation ceremony. She had been sitting on the steps of her dojo when someone sat right next to her.

"_Hey," Kenichi said as he sat down._

_Asuka smiled. "Come to try and fight me again?"_

_Kenichi shook his head. "Nah, not tonight...too much going on."_

"_Yeah," Asuka said, "I know what you mean. Can you believe it? We're through with high school now!"_

"_I know," he replied, shaking his head, "College."_

_For a while they just sat there in silence, staring out at the horizon, where sunset had just finished disappearing beneath lavender and reddish orange clouds. The sky had turned midnight blue, and the stars were just appearing._

_Asuka sighed dreamily. "I'm gonna miss these kinds of things."_

_Kenichi, confused, asked, "Hmm?"_

"_You know. Here. Right now. Talking like this. Who knows when we'll be doing this again?"_

_Kenichi sighed. "You're right. And the next time we fight each other...have an argument whether Australia is a country or a continent..."_

_Asuka laughed, "Yup, I'll miss those times."_

_The night was getting cooler, a crisp breeze blowing by, playing at the strands of their dark hair. Unexpectedly, Kenichi spoke._

"_Have you ever wondered what would have happened if we had never met?"_

_Asuka blinked in surprise. "It has crossed my mind once or twice," she admitted, "But then again, I think about a lot of things...like what would have happened if I did grow up with my mother...or if I didn't go to private school...there are a lot of what ifs in the world Kenichi. Why ask that one?"_

_He sighed. "I don't know...it's just that now that we're officially high school graduates, I look back in my life. Things would have been really different without you."_

_Asuka blushed a little, but he didn't notice. "I mean, I think about a lot of things too," he went on, "Like...could we have lived another life? Is there another world out there?"_

_Asuka paused. "Could be," she said, "But I honestly don't regret not living this way. Sure, there are a lot of things in life I don't agree with...and I do wonder if I could have possibly lived in another world...full of adventure, thrill..."_

_He shook his head at her. "You're too romantic."_

_She stuck out her tongue and he chuckled. "If there is another world out there," he said slowly, "Why did we end up here?"_

_Asuka answered, "Fate is a funny thing. If we ended up elsewhere, we wouldn't be talking here right now." Asuka stretched out her arms and placed them behind her head. "Well frankly, if there is another world out there full of adventure, I'm going there!"_

_Kenichi chuckled, and Asuka ignored him. "Besides," she paused. "Would you have wanted it any other way?"_

_Kenichi thought for a moment. "No, not really. I just wondered if things could have been different..."_

"_And who knows," he added thoughtfully, "Maybe things will change sooner or later. You could change. I could too in the next 2-4 years."_

_Asuka thought about that. Then she smiled and got up, reaching out her hand for Kenichi._

"_If you do change," she said as she helped him up, "Don't change too much." 1_

_Kenichi smiled, excepting her hand. "I won't," he promised._

"_And when we meet again after college," she said, "Be sure not to forget about me."_

_Kenichi replied, "'Course I won't. I could never forget about unfinished business."_

_Asuka laughed. "Good," she said, "'Cause when we meet again, we're gonna settle our rivalry once and for all."_

...Thirty more seconds until the bell rang. Asuka stared anxiously at the clock..._tick_..._tock_..._tick_...

The bell rang.

Outside the front entrance of the school, buzzed a swarm of students, all elated to get their summer vacation started. Some had yearbooks out still, signing some last minute signatures. Others were saying good-bye to their friends. Teachers, left to right, guiding kids out, catching some last minute pranksters.

Asuka weaved in and out of the throng, looking for Megumi. She spotted her red-streaked hair, along with her digital video camera, videoing her every move.

"And here's our high school graduate, looking lovely today in her school uniform. 'Course, enjoy it while it lasts 'cause we're gonna burn it soon!"

Asuka laughed and said, "Class of 2006!" to the camera, making the devil horn signs with her hands. (**A/N**: c'mon people, you know! Rock on sign? Gah, just had to point that out because of all the REAL devil stuff being mentioned in the story...)

Megumi tossed her long hair from her face and turned off her video camera. "Everyone's going to the Pizzeria. Are you coming?"

Asuka's face fell. "I have to get to the dojo."

Megumi pouted. "Aww...c'mon, just one quick slice of pizza? Everyone in the senior year is coming!"

Asuka reconsidered. "We-ell..."

Megumi placed her hands together. "Please?"

Asuka grinned and shrugged. "All right. But I'll have to make it quick."

Megumi whooped and brought out her camera again. "Well there you have it folks, the one, the only Asuka Kazama, future top agent of the 3WC, living the high life with her best friend for once!"

Asuka linked arms with Megumi, who was filming everything around them as they walked out of the school one last time.

"We're gonna remember this day for the rest of our lives, my friend..."2

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As she ran, she stepped on a stray stone with the side of her foot, and nearly tripped. But she regained her balance and continued running. She wouldn't be running if she didn't let Megumi pull her around everywhere at the Pizzeria...then again she knew she shouldn't have gone there in the first place.

But it wasn't her fault that a group of thugs decided to try and beat up a lone teenage boy! Of course Asuka stopped them. It was in her nature after all...

_But the least the boy could have done was _try_ to fight back_! She thought. Now she was late, and we mean _really _late, and her father was gonna kill her...

Asuka sped towards the dojo, not even stopping at her house to change into her Aikido uniform. She braced herself as she walked towards the entrance, trying to ready herself for her father's punishment. But Asuka stopped abruptly when she got there.

_Something's not right_, she thought. There was something out of place with the dojo...something...

Then she realized what it was: the door. It was wide open.

What her father did was close the door, unlocked, when classes started. That way, if a person was late, they would have to open the door themselves, and the large front doors of the dojo temple made a lot of noise, so everyone inside would hear, which meant embarrassment for that person. In fact, Asuka was getting ready for opening the door in shame, ready for the unwanted attention that happened several times to her...

But it was wide open.

Tentatively, she walked towards it slowly, trying to see why her father would leave it open. Was it to humiliate her? No…he wouldn't embarrass her intentionally…

The closer she got, the clearer inside the dojo became. As she stepped inside, she gasped at what she saw.

The students...all of them...injured...some of them seemed to be just arousing then...

At that moment, Mrs. Sanada and Mr. Jiro, also fighters at the dojo came to her, struggling as they did so.

"Mrs. Sanada! What happened to your arm!"

"Asuka," she said, "Call the ambulance. The students are badly injured and your father is in critical condition."

The color seeped out of her face and she struggled to breathe. "My father...?"

"Call them now!"

Ten minutes later, the students, who only suffered broken bones and minor injuries were taken care of. The dojo was in shambles and the large, expensive door was in fact, broken. Ambulances were outside, and a small crowd of people was gathering outside, flabbergasted by the ambulance and the police officers. But that wasn't Asuka's concern...

She stood by the stretcher, where her father lay unconscious, wearing a neck brace and his collarbone broken along with his back. He needed a respiratory machine to help him breathe. He was really hurt.

Asuka bit her lip, pale as a ghost, holding his hand. "Will he be ok?" she asked the paramedic.

He replied, "He's condition is stable for the moment, but I'm afraid he will be staying at the hospital for quite a while."

Asuka thought horrified, _for the moment_? "He might suffer some long-time injuries. But don't worry Miss Kazama, he's in good hands."

Asuka nodded numbly. "Thank you," she whispered.

They placed him inside the ambulance and drove off to the hospital, leaving Asuka standing alone, mind numb and shaking. She didn't know how long she was standing there when she heard her voice being called.

"Asuka?"

She turned and found Mrs. Sanada. "What...what happened here?"

Mrs. Sanada sighed. "Some Chinese Kenpo fighter came...demanded a fight with your father...he won...and he took out his victory on the students."

She clenched her fists. "Who was he!"

She shook her head. "We don't know...after he was finished, some students went to help him, and got hurt as well."

Asuka stared at Mrs. Sanada. Her sorrow turned to anger. "Did you tell the police!"

"Yes, Asuka, of course!" she replied, "Asuka, please, don't be angry. I tried to help also! You're not the only one concerned about your father."

Asuka just stood there in silence. Then she turned to some nearby students. "You!" she said angrily. "You're not hurt! You guys didn't even bother to help my father!"

"Excuse me?" one of the students said, standing up. "_I_ helped! Look!" He took out his hand, which was broken. "You think that the rest of us didn't care? That we were too afraid to help our sensei?"

"Well you sure didn't stop that man from sending him to the hospital!"

"Well I didn't see you come to his aid either! Where were you when that man came to beat us all up? Hmm?"

Asuka fell silence, realizing that he was right. "You're right..." she said softly, silencing the student. "I didn't help...I wasn't here...it's all my fault."

Wordlessly, she turned and ran.

-----------------------------

The next day, she tried to visit her father - but was informed by the lady at the desk that they couldn't allow visitors just yet,

Asuka was furious. She started a very loud and heated argument with the lady, along with some of the workers at the hospital. In the end, she was forced to go home.

Asuka, and several of the able-bodied students worked to clean up the dojo in eerie silence. All day, Asuka was silent. Megumi, and some of her other close friends tried to get to her - but she wouldn't say or do anything, besides pacing back and forth across the kitchen when they arrived, pausing and staring wordlessly at them with narrowed eyes after they had insulted her, in an attempt to talk to her.

Asuka wouldn't speak to anyone. All she did was nod, shake her head, ignore others, or just walked away, deep in thought. She was silent, deep in thought, keeping her bottled silent fury and sorrow inside.

Asuka felt so helpless. She couldn't visit her father, let alone be with him in his pain. Her family's dojo had been dishonored; never had such a thing happened there, let alone in the neighborhood. The Kazamas and the Kazama dojo were well respected. Yet look what happen. No other dojo in Osaka had suffered the same fate, though her father's dojo was the best. Even Kenichi's family dojo was untouched.

Asuka felt like it was her fault. The student's words rang through her head, over and over again, making sense each time, being true each time, and bringing pangs of guilt each time. He was right; she decided to spend time with her friends instead of helping her father and beating the mysterious Chinese fighter to a pulp.

The student tried to apologize; but Asuka wouldn't speak to him, let alone listen, and he just gave up. Everyone did, including Megumi and Mrs. Sanada. They tried to bring her to her senses and convince her that everything was going to be all right, that the police would catch the man, and that her father would heal soon.

But everything wasn't going to be all right. Asuka had to do something...justice needed to be served.

Asuka held the broom tightly in her hands as she continued to sweep the floor. She ignored the students' whispers about her odd behavior. Then there was a voice that spoke.

"Hello? Uh, is there a Miss, Kazama?"

Asuka turned to the doorway, where a man stood. He looked around mid-forties, with waist-long black hair, tied in a ponytail. He was Chinese, looked professional, and even a fighter, however, he wore a puzzled expression as he looked at Asuka.

Asuka made her way to him. "Yes sir?"

He looked her critically, but instantly shook his head a little and held out his hand. "I'm Detective Wulong, Lei Wulong of Hong Kong Interpol."

"Interpol?" She questioned as she shook his hand.

He nodded. "Yes," he said, "I have some things about your father's cases."

Her expression turned grave. "Yes?"

He cleared his throat. "We have proof that it was this man who attacked your father."

He handed her several documents, and inside was a photo of a Chinese man.

"His name is Feng Wei," he continued, "He's been causing trouble back in China as well. He murdered his own master. We believe, because of he's frequent dojo attacks and fighting technique, that he murdered his master because of the rule that they had: not being able to test their fighting style with others."

"We believe that after doing so, he did the very thing his master tried to prevent him from doing: going from dojo to dojo, proving each time that he was a greater fighter."

Asuka glared at the photo. "Feng Wei..."

"Feng Wei had recently been attacking dojos in Japan as well. Yet, we also think that he's searching for something as well..."

Asuka looked up, curios. "For what?"

Lei shook his head. "We don't know. However...we are convinced that he is entering the fifth Iron Fist Tournament..."

She looked up quickly. "The Iron Fist Tournament?"

"Yes," he said, "It was announced just recently, after Heihachi Mishima's mysterious death."

Asuka, along with everyone was aware of the death of Heihachi Mishima. It was very strange indeed; there seemed to be an explosion in Honmaru, the headquarters of the Mishima Zaibatsu. Everyone was bewildered about it, and gossip was all about who might be taking over the Conglomerate. The announcement of the tournament was surprising and equally suspicious indeed.

"The tournament..."

Asuka was deep in thought. _He's going to be there_...

Asuka made the decision to join the tournament, defeat Feng Wei, and bring honor back to their desecrated dojo. Justice needed to be served...

**1** - got that from Kingdom Hearts XP

**2** - ironic, don't you think? Asuka sure has remembered that day throughout her entire life...


	9. Ch 9 :: Winds of Change

**Sachi Gosetsuke**: I put in more effort in this chapter because of how I suddenly "disappeared" after school started. Believe me, school has definitely taken its toll on me. And I forgot shout-outs from last chapter's reviews!

**Psychoblue**: I nearly cracked a lung trying hard to laugh out loud at your statement.

**Scarlet Child**: I don't know why HIM would play at a carnival…just my crazy imagination XD And the fore line thing: I got that from **The Butterfly Effect**, so I guess that means she has no lifeline.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Tekken or it's characters, and Kenichi is the OC of **Psychoblue**. XD

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_Ch. 8_: Winds of Change

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_The fifth tournament seemed to past by so quickly, now that I think about it. I never really had time to reflect on the tournament - but you'll soon learn why..._

_Before I left for the tournament, I trained non-stop, pushing my fighting potential to the limit. I was more than determined to bring justice to our dojo..._

_However, I didn't do it alone. Kenichi came to my aid, surprisingly enough. He was sorry for my father, and wanted to see how I was handling it. When he heard about my decision to enter the tournament, he was shocked. But he overcame it, and challenged me to a fight, to see if I truly was ready. During the time, I had been at the dojo as usual, and I was more than happy to take my anger and frustration on someone and pummel their face to the dojo floor._

_I was on the ground in about ten seconds._

"_What the hell was that?" he demanded. That was when our training began._

_As I said before, he also wanted to train me so that when we fought, he would defeat me in the most honorable way possible, and to make sure that he would have a challenge and prove that he really was a greater fighter than I. _

_During the time we trained together, we became closer. Kenichi became my most trusted friend - despite our rivalry. We learned so much about each other than we did as we grew up together. I became lucky and proud to call him my rival._

_I didn't see it before though...how quickly Kenichi had begun to change. He didn't seem to take notice as well - but it became very obvious after his father was killed..._

_We didn't know it then, but the winds of change were already blowing long before I left for the tournament. And when I had left...it would be the last time that I had seen Kenichi Masamune..._

_And when I would see him again...he would be completely different, and he would have broken his promise._1

**_Asuka's forehead_** was damp with sweat. She swiped it off with the back of her hand as she glared up from the ground at Kenichi who towered over her, and had once again pinned her to a draw.

"Asuka," he said disappointed, "You're holding back."

She quickly got up from the ground, glaring daggers at him. She hadn't been in the best mood since she found out who her father's attacker was, and especially after finally seeing her father in the hospital. What she saw was far different from the strong, confident yet gentle and kind man she had loved. He was unconscious still, and several of his ribs were broken. He had a gauze bandage wrapped around his head and a sling on his left arm - but what was even more serious was not only the cuts and bruises on his face, but the respirator that had to assist him in breathing.

"What the hell are you talking about? Of course I'm fighting back!"

Kenichi sighed. "Last week, you were blinded by your rage, and fighting carelessly, too mad and too preoccupied in smashing your fist in my face. Now you're holding back all that rage - along with something else."

Asuka blinked. "What?"

"Everything. Your potential. Your excitement. Everything needed in order to win."

Still puzzled, Kenichi explained. "In a fight, it's normal that you'll feel a little bit uneasy. But it's stupid to try only to reject and refuse these feelings."

Asuka nodded, her glare slowly fading. "Uneasy?"

He replied, "I understand that you are trying to hold back your rage so that you don't repeat the same fight when I first came to you in the dojo. However, when you finally face this Chinese man, you are going to feel rage. I know you. However, if you try to suppress this feeling, you will also reject something else."

Kenichi continued, "Sometimes, the path of the fighter requires letting in dark feelings, weighing them, and then letting them go."

Asuka grew silent. She heard that saying once before. But she was too young to truly understand what it meant. But now that Kenichi was repeating it this time, she felt like she finally understood, for her father had told her the same thing.

But how can she use this piece of information?

Kenichi began to pack up. "Why don't you think about what I mean, and clear your head a bit."

Without waiting for a reply from her, he was out of the temple.

Asuka was on the ground again, legs crossed Indian-style in the middle of the dojo floor. She thought about what her rival just told her. As she did so, the memory of when her father told the same thing came to mind.

"_Otousan, teach me more!" Ten-year-old Asuka demanded excitedly, hopping from one foot to the other. Their sparring session had just finished, and Asuka, as hyperactive as she is, was still on the balls for her feet for more action, whereas her father was ready to sleep._

_He shook his head, giving a tired chuckle. "Asuka, I just finished with my class, and we just fought. I'm too tired. Isn't one spar good enough?"_

_Asuka pouted and crossed her arms, shaking her head defiantly. "No! It isn't! I need to train harder in order to become the greatest fighter in the world!"_

_He raised an eyebrow. "In the whole world?"_

_Asuka smiled sassily. "Ok, not the _whole _world. It's too big. But at least a better fighter than Kenichi."_

_Her father laughed heartily. "Asuka," he said. Still sitting cross-legged on the floor, he took his daughter into his lap. "You and Kenichi are more like each other than you both know."_

_Asuka shot her father a Look. "Otousan," Asuka said, as-a-matter-of-factly, "Kenichi is a _boy_. We are_ way_ different."_

_Her father chuckled softly once more. _Maybe another time_, he thought. _

"_C'mon, Otousan!" Asuka pleaded. "One more spar! Just one more!"_

_Sensei Kazama sighed. But it was not in the tiresome and exasperated sigh that most people gave her. "Asuka," he said, "Sometimes just fighting and practicing isn't enough."_

_Asuka grew puzzled. "What do you mean?"_

_He continued, "It is not just your fists and feet that help you to succeed in combat. Nor is it with just strength or just speed, or size and age."_

"_Sometimes, the path of the fighter requires letting in dark feelings, weighing them, and then letting them go. What they need is the determination…the thrill…and even the rage in order to win. They turn feel these emotions and turn them into something else…and succeed."_

"…" _Asuka was wordless. What did her father mean by "fists and feet" don't matter? Yes, of course, you need strength, and speed, and other stuff. But what was this "other stuff" he just referred to?_

"…_I don't get it Otousan." Asuka admitted quietly. "What do you mean?"_

_He smiled. "It's all right, little one," Sensei Kazama said, patting her head brightly, "You will learn when you are older."_

Well now she was older, seven years older as a matter of fact. She still didn't understand entirely, and yet her rival Kenichi repeated the same words to her, and he was the same age as her.

But now she understood what her father and Kenichi had been trying to tell her, in perspective of the situation she was in: before she had been fighting blindly, her rage and anger controlling her. She knows now that they just hinder her in fighting; but while that's true, she was holding back what was most important to her, and exactly why she fights: _thrill_.

Though when the time comes to face Feng Wei, Asuka will feel rage; that will be expected no matter what. But she must learn was how to turn that into something else in order to win: the thrill, the excitement of defeating the man who almost took her father's life.

With that in mind, she knew exactly what to do.

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An hour later, Kenichi came walking back to the Kazama's Temple dojo. _Hopefully Asuka is in a better mood to train_, Kenichi thought. _Well she better be anyway, if she still wants me to help her_.

As he came closer to his destination, the more clear the distinct sounds of hands and feet cutting through the air became. However, the young fighter did not know whether Asuka training was a good thing or a bad thing.

_Well, here goes_, Kenichi thought, as he readied himself to push open the mighty large front temple doors – only to remember that they were broken and hanging off their hinges, wide open for the whole world to see inside the dojo.

As he stood in the doorway, he stopped, watching Asuka's figure practicing.

Her back was to him, and to Kenichi's surprise, instead of the quick, strong movements he was used to seeing her do when she trained, filled with concentration of imagining her opponent's head and crushing it, her movements were slow and smooth. Her entire expression was calm and relaxed, yet intense and focused on every motion she made – it was almost like a dance. She made quick and sharp movements with her hands and feet, her auburn hair swinging lightly on over and above her eyes. She did several smooth cartwheels and paused in her stance. Balance and agility. That was what she was trying to control.

Asuka moved gracefully and smoothly, as if in her own dream-like world, that it seemed like time had stopped for just that moment while Kenichi stood there, watching, in a trance at the scene played before him.

How did her eyelashes cast down her face like that, creating perfect black arcs that made her already breathtaking brown eyes striking? How long had it been since he last noticed how her lips looked softer and fuller, and so delectable when she grinned, the red curve of her mouth against her white, straight teeth?

And how come he never found Asuka attractive before? His friends and along with half of the school's male population always said so. She was beautiful, yes. He always had to admit that she was pretty good-looking for a tomboy. Pretty. That's all. But how could he have been so blind as to what she truly was (?): _beautiful_.

And he realized it.

Asuka was no longer the child-like schoolgirl that could easily impersonate a boy any time. And she probably never had been for a while. Though she kept her boyish attitude and sassy manner, and not to mention clung on to her naivety and big dreams, she had finally grown up, inside out, into what was a living combination of maturity and innocence. And she was different from the young girl he liked to challenge all the time, argue petty quarrels over, and so on and so forth; she was a young woman now in her own space.

And with that new revelation, his face grew hot and he felt a mysterious sensation in the pit of his stomach.

After mustering up his courage that he had, he walked up to Asuka and said, "Are you ready to train now?"

She stopped and turned to Kenichi. Asuka lowered her head, and more like to his knee rather than his face she said, "Kenichi, I had given a lot of thought to what you said…and you're right. I understand now."

"But now," she continued, "I…need your help. If you still want to help me."

In mock importance, Kenichi replied in a straight face to her, "Asuka Kazama, I would be honored to help you on the path to bringing justice upon the Chinese fighter."

Asuka grinned. "Great! Well now I just need to test my emotions and junk…starting with my anger, yes?"

She grinned, and slid into her fighting stance. "Ready?" she asked, arching an eyebrow and smiling rather seductively.

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"Baka!"

Sighing in annoyance, Megumi turned to roll her eyes at another teenage boy her age, who nodded in agreement. However, the two of them had not come to the ice cream parlor together. In fact, they weren't even that close of friends. The teenage boy was Kanaye, Kenichi's best friend, as was Megumi to Asuka (yes, a best friend; apparently all school teens had them here).

As you might have guessed it, Megumi and Asuka had spotted Kenichi and Kanaye together at the parlor and decided to join them. Instead, the tables turned and Megumi and Kanaye ended up as usually together in then end – whereas Kenichi and Asuka were engaged in an argument…as usual.

"For the last time," Kenichi said for the once more, "It's Europe _and _Asia, dammit!"

"No it's not!" Asuka said, glaring holes in Kenichi's face, "It's _Eurasia_. Get your Geo skills in place will you!"

"First of all, it can be referred to as _both_ as I stated before," Kenichi said in an angry tone, "And second, _not_ Geo skills, _social studies_ skills."

"Where did you learn your Japanese?" Asuka demanded, "What the hell is social studies but _government _and _politics_ and shit, not geography like _World Geo_!"

"This is the last time I let them sit together," Megumi whispered loudly in Kanaye's ear.

"Didn't you say the exact same thing back in 3rd grade?" he replied in question.

However, both Asuka and Kenichi did not catch that.

"You know what, I'm done eating ice cream here," Asuka said in a huff, standing up.

And like the gentleman he was, he slid out of the booth to let Asuka out…despite their heated argument just moments before.

"Yeah I'm going too," Kenichi agreed with Asuka, walking with her.

"Hey, you have any change on you (2)?" Asuka asked him, searching through her wallet.

"Yeah, here," he said, handing her money, "I'll pay. Do you want me to come by your dojo this evening?"

"Sure," she replied.

"Come on slowpokes," Kenichi said to Kanaye and Megumi.

Megumi gaped at Kanaye. Was it just them, or did those two bicker like an old married couple? And they sure had some shitty mood swings going on.

"You guys are worse then my parents," Kanaye said aloud, slapping his money on the table.

He and Asuka exchanged looks with each other and said together, "What do you mean?"

Kanaye and Megumi glanced at each other, and shook their heads. Hopeless.

And in about ten minutes when they reached Kenichi's house, the two were at it again.

Kenichi glowered at Asuka, not even noticing how their two friends had left awhile ago without saying good-bye.

"Why do you always have to be so Goddamn stubborn all the time?" Kenichi asked angrily, the reminiscence of their heated (yet _trivial_) argument ringing in his ears.

She stuck out her tongue at him. "Because I can."

Kenichi mentally slapped his forehead. He changed his mind. She hasn't grown up at all.

She smiled smugly at him, seeing his angry expression trying to muster up a snappy retort and walked ahead of him. She stopped suddenly at the figure in the Masamune's doorframe, with a cold expression on his face, staring straight at Kenichi.

Kenichi sighed. "I better go," he grumbled, hurrying past Asuka.

"Ok," Asuka nodded understandingly, "See you at six!"

He didn't reply back.

She sighed and continued her way home.

Almost like her, one parent had basically raised Kenichi. While Kenichi's father was always forever gone away on "business," his mother was there to guide him, teach him, and train him to fight. And when his father was home on rare occasions, he was never the father Asuka always knew. But it wasn't what you may think; heavens no, he was never abused or neglected. It was just like living with a stranger at home.

Yet Kenichi trusted his father with all his heart. As a child, he looked forward to him coming home. After all, this was the man who had taught him to fight even better; the man who taught him to play basketball, his favorite sport; the man who forged his good-luck Masamune sword, something he carried with him at all times.

He looked up at him as Asuka did with her father, and in return of his special teachings and fatherhood, he gave him his loyalty and respect.

Lately however, his father had been very moody…the meaning of "discipline" had always been carved into his mind of course. Yet recently it seemed that he was always scolded and lectured, and special sparring sessions with his father had not been easy. Despite the respect he had given his father, he could not wait for him to leave for business.

But the reason for his father's mood swings could also be partly his fault. Lately Kenichi has had so much on his mind, jumping from college dealings to thinking up snappy retorts to Asuka, and to training Asuka and controlling his living dead hormones that she had awaken. But most importantly, it could be because of his lack of sleep.

Kenichi would shake himself to wake up at 5 AM to train in the dojo and stay up hours into the night well past one o'clock and then drink anything that had sugar and caffeine during the day…anything to keep himself from falling into one of his nightmares again.

It probably all started about a week or two ago; when Asuka's father was attacked. Or even when his feelings erupted like a violent volcano and suddenly he felt himself thinking like some lovesick teenager when he wasn't busy lecturing or arguing with Asuka. Either way, the dreams came, and he found himself waking from disturbing (yet pleasant) dreams of hot summer nights, talking with Asuka, laughing, flirting, and holding hands…and even some more impure thoughts that he forced himself to wake from, feeling sickeningly moist on most nights.

But his dreams became worse…In place of her dark brown pearls and auburn hair were red slits and blonde hair. _Nightmares_. Nightmares filled with screams, blood, pain, darkness, and death. Nightmares where he heard a strange voice calling…calling to him, telling him to follow him, go into the darkness…

He dreamt of ebony, mysterious and evil creatures with red eyes and talons killing innocents, young and old, men and women…and in the midst of the killings by what he called "demons," was a young man in a dark black trench coat, his hood covering his face. And in his nightmares he saw Tokyo city taken over by darkness, a blood red sun in the horizon, and the voice calling to him once more…and he saw a hideous creature that sent shivers down his back, with three red eyes and bat-like wings…but what scared him the most was that in this particular dream, he could hear Asuka screaming.

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"No way."

It was a hot summer not, well past nine o'clock. Asuka and Kenichi had finished their usual training that evening. They both were sitting at their usual spots on the dojo steps, talking.

Kenichi couldn't help but let out a grin. Another surprise for Asuka. She was so used to seeing Kenichi expressionless, cold, or just plain angry. But lately she had been seeing a different side to him.

"It's true."

Asuka gaped at him. "You're related to the legendary samurai _Date Masamune_!"

"I can't believe you didn't know it before."

Asuka placed her hands on her hips and made a face. "Well before, we spent most of our time fighting and arguing then talking about famous relatives."

He chuckled with her in agreement. "You're right," he said, leaning on the step with his hands behind his head, "We sure did fight a lot back then."

"Don't you mean _now_?" Asuka pointed out. "And we sure do annoy the shit out of our friends."

"And not to mention our parents."

"And teachers."

"And neighbors."

"And bullies."

"And elders."

They laughed together once more.

Another has come and passed. How strange it was that they had gotten to understand each other so well, way better than before; how easy they had become in each other's presence; the things they expected one another to do or say, even the little details like how Kenichi always raised his eyebrows a little and blinked whenever he was confused, or how Asuka eyebrows would meet in the middle when she was confused as well, or just concentrating on completing a fighting move.

But also how the only reason Kenichi carried a Masamune sword concealed in word like an iai sword, even though he never uses it was because it was a gift from his father and he carried it with him at all times for good luck.

Asuka was beginning to see Kenichi in a different light now. Instead of seeing him as Kenichi Masamune, her stubborn, egocentric rival who she vowed one day to defeat and perhaps make him get a life…but Kenichi Masamune, the noble, honorable young men, not only in excelling (she blushes to admit this) good looks, but also in justice like her…and she was liking what she was seeing.

The respect and credit she had for him had evolved greatly in the past few weeks…and soon she learned to trust him, and even enjoy being with him…completely different then before.

"Man," Kenichi said, his laughter finally fading. "When was the last time we actually enjoyed each other's living presence like this without wanting to kill each other."

"…Don't know," Asuka replied slowly, "But I wonder when was the last time you laughed like that."

Kenichi asked, "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well…" Asuka said thoughtfully, "You're always so…serious. Determined. Like you have a lot on your mind. Even as kids you never really cracked a smile before."

Kenichi replied, "Well…I don't really mean to be like that. The way you describe me it's like I'm not human."

Asuka grinned. "Of course you're human silly! I mean it's just that you also seemed oblivious to your fan girls out there, giving them the impression you're too busy trying to think of a way to defeat me."

"True," Kenichi replied.

Asuka's grin never faded as she continued, "You know, you reacted the same way back when we first met when I said the same thing."

Kenichi made a look of disbelief. "Jeeze, how do you remember these things!"

"Hey, I remember all special moments."

Asuka's beam faded off, realizing what she said. But she became more at ease when Kenichi just smiled warmly off to space.

Imitating his position, she leaned back and added without thought, "Yeah, you should smile more too; I always thought you were cuter when you did."

She clapped her hand on her mouth and blush profusely, realizing she said too much.

_CRAP!_ She thought, _where did that come from?_

Kenichi turned a little red as well, letting her words sink in. He allowed himself to glance at her slowly (without embarrassing her _too_ much), noticing her head turned away, a mad scowl on her face.

He couldn't help but smile faintly. _So even the great Asuka can still blush like that…Mother always complained not enough girls blushed_.

Asuka moved her eyes casually back towards him again, accidentally catching his eye. He looked away in awkward haste, turning red. _I'm glad that he still shows at least SOME emotion time to time, _she thought_, but it still feels weird…I never really see him doing anything like blush or smile. It's like a horse walking on its hind legs_.

"I better…get going," Kenichi mumbled, getting up. Asuka gave him a puzzled look, getting up as well.

"Why? It's not too late out."

He shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "Yeah…but I think it's gonna rain soon."

Asuka looked up. There wasn't a cloud in the ink black sky.

"See you tomorrow…Asuka."

"'Bye."

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That night, as Asuka crawled into her bed, she looked out her window. The quarter moon shown brightly out against the ebony night sky, with several tiny stars surrounding it, twinkling brightly in all its glory. The moon's reflection off the glass window gave off a doubled image, making it appear as if there were two moons.

This scene reminded Asuka of an old memory, not so long ago, between her and her father. He had been scowling her once again for fighting with Kenichi. Her father told her this:

"You can never truly understand a person before walking two moons in their shoes, Asuka."

_When Otousan told me this before, I always thought that there wasn't anything else to Kenichi_, Asuka thought, _and that even if there were, his persona would be too complicated for me to understand. What did I say then? Oh yeah_: Kenichi's shoes were probably uncomfortable. _Ha_.

_And it is said that a warrior can only truly know another warrior painstakingly once they have faced together in hand-to-hand combat…yet me and Kenichi had not only known each other for years but have been fighting since elementary school, and yet we only get to know each other only now._

_But…there's still so much to know about what goes on in that head of his…yet…I feel like we're so much closer now…even closer than friends…_

_Eck! What am I thinking? I just need some sleep._

So she turned to her other side away from her window, and drifted off to sleep, entering the world of dreams…and an old dream came to place…

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**_Over at_** the tall skyscraper of Tokyo Tower, a young man in his mid-twenties with sheer blonde hair in a scarlet ponytail, muttered an incantation, trapped in his own shell unaware that the demon within him was controlling him, as a puppeteer to a mindless puppet. As he continued in his monotone-doubled voice the incantation, the figure in front of him, cast away in the shadows, began to shake uncontrollably as the pupils of her eyes turned to fiery slits.

There stood towering over the figure a creature with bat-like wings, red eyes and purple skin…a creature so evil, so fearsome, that it was said that God Himself had banished his dark soul away to the depths of Hell…the creature was the Devil.

The Devil grinned evilly as he watched as the ancient symbols begin to spread throughout the mortal's body: eyes glowing red and with red blood, seeping down her face as if tears of horrific pain.

The man's voice grew louder, as the dark clouds in the sky began to grow; the blood-red sun (that gave off no such light) began to illuminate the sky with its vast crimson color throughout the black sky. The girl's screams couldn't have been louder as the markings on her glowed an eerie red, shining through her ripped tank top and jeans.

Her screams amplified as two horns pierced through her head outward, and her hands – no longer hands, but – _talons_ – grew as well. As if to show the evil that was taking over her, her screams grew louder, yet almost as if in ecstasy.

And as the man's doubled-voice, crying with enthusiasm now as he began to finish the evil incantation, the process became complete as two, raven-feathered wings sprouted from her back.

And the Devil began to laugh in triumph…lightning flashed in the sky, and with each strike, thunder clashed and the purple creature changed into the victims of his power, with the same crimson red eyes.

_CRASH_: Kazuya Mishima, the same red eyes and purple suit.

_CRASH_: Jin Kazama, not laughing but glowering, only with red eyes also, his face half hidden underneath his hood.

_CRASH_: The platinum blond-haired man known as Jean Sorel, the only one whom Devil had not taken over but merely made him one of his minions.

_CRASH_: Devil's last victim before Asuka…His whole attire in a black trench coat, the hood shadowing his eyes, eyes which were glowing red as well. Yet at a closer analysis he showed of chestnut brown hair, peaking through his hood…and then lightning struck.

Underneath his hood was a pair of familiar sapphire blue eyes…

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_One month later…_

Asuka sighed, the wind blowing at her back, the dark tendrils of her hair dancing in the wind. From where she stood glued to the spot, a nearby tree's leaves rustled in the wind. Several of its emerald green leaves cascaded down to the ground. The cool breeze against the humid atmosphere continued to blow in a mournful tune within the desolate graveyard.

_Everything had been going so well_, Asuka thought sadly. _Despite Otousan's accident, Kenichi's training had helped me so considerably. The tournament is a week away, and I'm finally ready to face Feng Wei. Kenichi and I have been getting along so great, and he had been becoming a better person as well…how could such a tragedy happen once more_?

Asuka stared on as Kenichi kneeled down at his father's grave, steely blue eyes expressionless and grave. He had just finished a prayer for his father, yet he had not moved away just yet.

Kenichi's father had been murdered.

Upon hearing the news from Mrs. Sanada, Asuka rushed over to the Masamune's home, only to find it empty. After pacing nervously back and forth in the kitchen for almost the entire day, Kenichi showed up that evening, informing her of how his father had been attacked and killed during his business trip. And if that weren't enough, he had been killed for committing a crime.

For almost his entire lifetime…Kenichi's father had been a criminal. His mother finally confessed to him that he had been working with the Yakuza and had been planning to sell a large shipment of bio-weapons to numerous buyers around the globe. But a gaijin ninja eliminated him before the weapons had gotten out. The only reason his father had been involved with the Yakuza was because of "an old friend." His mother would not tell him who he was.

It was enough that the man whom Kenichi had trusted forever had been unjustly taken away from him…but that this very man he trusted and called "father" had been betraying his trust for who knows how long.

The funeral had been taken place in Osaka; however, afterwards Kenichi and his mother had taken his casket to Kyoto where he would be buried with his ancestors.

With permission from Mrs. Sanada, Asuka came with Kenichi for emotional support.

Kenichi slowly stood up, his gaze never leaving the tombstone of his father. And slowly, he finally turned away.

Asuka walked up to the grave and kneeled down to delicately place the single rose on the grave. She murmured a prayer as well and lit the white candlestick that Kenichi stuck to the ground. She got up and faced Kenichi.

With his back still facing her, she said to him, "I'm sorry for your loss, Kenichi."

He did not reply. So Asuka continued. "I…know what you are going through Kenichi. Not entirely of course…no one can truly know one's feelings over a lost love. But I understand how it feels to lose a father."

They were both silent for a moment. Only the mournful tune of the wind could be heard: the winds of change.

"No you don't."

He turned around to face her, glaring at her to block away his true sorrow. "You may have suffered a little when your own father was taken away from you. But at least you still have a father to go back to at the end of the day. You know _nothing_ of how I feel Asuka…Your father wasn't murdered…you father wasn't a criminal…your father is still alive and you have an idea where his attacker is!"

Asuka swallowed hard. She had only rarely heard him yell like that before. His true wrath; not the annoyed whine-like cry I their petty arguments or even when he truly was angry with her. And when his full wrath came…it always made her shiver in fear.

He looked back at his father's grave. "I swear on my father's grave," he growled, "That I will take the life of his killer as his killer has taken his own."

Asuka turned white. "Kenichi, you can't be serious," Asuka said. Not Kenichi. Not the noble hero. Not the respectable fighter. She hadn't expected him to say that. Sure, Asuka expected him to want revenge; yet Kenichi was an _honorable_ citizen, not a blind killer.

He didn't answer right away. "I had a dream about this…" he said whispered. "I really did. It all started like this: you and me at this graveyard, doing what we just did now. And then I saw it."

He faced Asuka. "I saw him die. I saw how that _murderer_ killed my father. I had been having strange dreams before…nightmares…filled with darkness, and taint, and blood. _Death_."

"Someone is out there…Remember how I said to you before that there could be other worlds? Well someone is out there, in some other world, calling out to me…telling me to find that man…showing me the way…and I'm gonna follow him."

"Kenichi, you're scaring me," Asuka said in a hushed voice, unable to stop the shivers running up and down her back.

"Maybe you should be scared," Kenichi said slowly.

"Look Kenichi," she said stepping up to him, putting on her best glare, "This isn't you. You would never do this. You would never blindly follow "someone" especially someone who tells you to kill. You're a good person Kenichi, don't do this!"

Again, he doesn't answer right away, and now Asuka is really worried. "I'm gonna make him spill," he continues, as if she had never said anything, "And then I'm gonna find that "old friend" of my father…and make him pay as well."

"Kenichi –-,"

"He betrayed me!" He shouted. "He betrayed my trust, yet I don't know who I'm more mad at: him, his killer, or the person who dragged him into the Yakuza."

Asuka could feel her hands beginning to shake. This could not be happening…it just couldn't…

"You can't change my mind Asuka," he murmured past her, his voice a little softer. "I'm going to find them. I don't care how long it takes me, but I will have my revenge, just as you will. And when I find them…I'll kill them."

Asuka bowed down her head. The winds had not stopped blowing yet. Kenichi had already started to leave; yet she remained at her spot.

_Oh Kenichi_, she thought sadly before following him in silence, _If only I could change your mind…but it is as impossible as stopping the winds from blowing in change_.

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…_And that was the last I saw of the boy I knew as my childhood friend: Kenichi Masamune_.

**1** - refer to the last chapter - a flashback.

**2 **- ok, I don't understand Japanese currency, so…yeah.

**Baka** – "idiot," "moron," etc.


	10. Ch 10 :: Recovery

**Sachi Gosetsuke**: yeah, I know I posted up the last chapter twice, I know. But I just had to edit several things that I missed while previewing it (don't you just hate it when that happens?) Also, I added some more stuff there too, particularly for Kenichi. So check it out.

Also…I owe you guys an **apology**. I've had major Writer's Block for the past three months (yikes), and even as I type, I am still slowly recovering. Plus there's the normal crap, drama, chorus, and school stuff happening right now. You know – all that good stuff.

Oh yes…how 'bout we all get over ourselves and start thinking up our **_own_** ideas on stories, hmm?

**Disclaimer**: The following works here are all property of an obsessed fan, and Tekken and its characters (except **Kenichi**) are all property of Namco. There. Go sue someone else.

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_Ch. 9_: Recovery

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_About a week after Kenichi left, I left as well for the tournament._

_I was distraught when Kenichi left. It showed me that he was really serious about his decision, and he might not come back until his mission was accomplished. And with this realization, I felt a literal stabbing pain upon my heart: a jumble of emotions that had been rambling on and on in my head unclearly, had finally made sense and all came rushing into me like a fist to my stomach. Confusion, fear, anger…and sorrow._

_I wouldn't talk to anyone after he left. I felt numb and so alone, and the temple dojo had never felt so quiet. I wouldn't even ride my bike anymore, or even stop fights that erupted in the dojo. It was just one of those times that I desperately needed my father._

_At times I found myself spacing out, and daydreaming about us together, alone; talking until dusk, sparring with each other, taking walks along the fishing shores. I would plague myself into training, perfecting my skills and strengthening my resolve: anything to keep from thinking about him. Yet I also did repeat his advice and his teachings over and over again in my head, reminding myself I had a task to complete._

_It was when he had left, did I really realize exactly what I had, and exactly what I had lost: a friend._

_I realized that I had been falling for him all along._

_Though as sadden as I was about Kenichi's disappearance and his decision, I did not allow that to affect my training and determination. It only encouraged me to strengthen my resolve even more: to defeat Feng Wei, and to become a greater fighter. For my father, for Kenichi, and for myself._

_I had to believe that Kenichi would come back and come to his senses. And I reminded myself yet another quote from my father: while one door closes, another one opens. And in my case, several doors opened for me…_

_The tournament came as a blur for me. I met so many people, learned so many things…when I came home, I felt like a whole new person._

_Strange how this effect seems to occur to all participants of the Iron Fists._

_I don't think I ever had a chance to think about Kenichi until after the tournament; so many things had been happening, and all I had time for was thinking about my father, thinking of Feng Wei, and training, training, training. I had no time to think about the man whose face was always hidden underneath his hood; and I had no time for Kazuya Mishima…_

_However, I didn't discover the truth until after the tournament…_

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**Asuka closed **her eyes, letting the wind play with the dark tresses of her hair and laying in a familiar field of tall grass, her legs spread, and her hands behind her head. The cool breeze was welcomed against her skin, with such hot humid summer atmosphere surrounding her that evening.

She slowly opened them, a soft sigh of leisure escaping her lips, watching the sun setting out in the horizon. It was yet another hot and beautiful summer evening in July. Well, it was nearing the end of July and close to the beginning of August. Close to her eighteenth birthday…close to leaving Osaka.

Even to this day, about a month afterwards, she still could replay every moment of her participation in the Iron Fists clear as day. She still could remember the adrenaline rush as she greeted each of her opponents with a fist or a defensive motive…and she could still feel her heart thumping wildly as the crowd cheered on after she won her match.

For the first time in her life, she felt alive. For once (if not, ever), she truly felt as if she had finally sought the chance to spread her wings and escape her caged prison and eerily calm sanctuary…and she was soaring. If this was just the beginning of her soon early adult life, she was ready to hold her head high and face the rest of it.

Yet her journey had been just a bittersweet dream. When she came to Tokyo, she had never felt so alone. Though she was ecstatic and delightfully curious of the new world around her, and the millions of people weaving in and out about, she longed for her tight and familiar neighborhood, seeking out troublemakers, baby-sitting the children, riding her bike and running errands…yet she reminded herself that she would be coming home soon enough, and that she was here on a mission…but it was such a strange ironic state for Asuka; how could it be, that she had finally been to leave home for once and explore the world on her own, and yet she was homesick and it felt hard to enjoy herself?

Though she was missing her father and friends at home, she tossed her insecurity in the wind and simply held up her chin and made her way.

There were two sides to her little "trip" in Tokyo: one good and bad. And as for the good…well, it couldn't have made her trip any sweeter.

As much as she missed Megumi, and God knows how much she missed Kenichi, she sure was happy when she met the other fighters close to her age. And it would be a lie to disagree with the fact that although she had very confident when she left Osaka, and she made it clear for everyone on how ready she was, her self-assurance faded away to evanesce when she took a look at all the fighters surrounding her.

Every fighter here in the tournament…was a veteran. All of them, had either participated in the Iron Fists at least once and were all skilled fighters and older than her. It was bad enough that she was a little on the short size, and the youngest of the whole competition, but to have no experience whatsoever here was pretty tough…she was officially labeled, "rookie."

But it wouldn't have been like her at all if she had let that get to her…

Though as young and new as she was, she didn't let that bother her (much), and she learned to go with the flow, ignoring some of the remarks that some of the few arrogant fighters noted about her.

And so, she first befriended the one and only Ling Xiaoyu.

She was a pretty Chinese teenager who was just a year older than her, and pretty bubbly and friendly yet perhaps a little too enthusiasm and feminine for her age, along with Asuka's taste. Though Asuka was never one to judge, she couldn't help but raise her eyebrows a little at all the bright and vivid colors of pink and yellow she normally wore, and of course those annoying pigtails that made her much younger than her age.

Yet she was considerably kind and helpful, bringing out a mixture of innocence and maturity, and a cross between maternity and sisterly instinct. And not to mention Asuka admired her determination and was impressed on her own skills of Hakke Ken and various other Chinese martial arts. They had loads of fun together, nevertheless, and Xiaoyu became Asuka's close friend and the most trusted person out of all the people she knew in the tournament.

And then there was the sweet and helpful Julia Chang. A strange and unique heritage blend of Chinese Ancestry and Native American (Navajo to be exact), the 20-year-old college student was no other fighter Asuka has ever met before. Her wisdom and logical conduct was admirable. It was because of Julia's knowledge of the Mishima Zaibatsu, and her own mission against them that drew Asuka to her. The two quickly became friends and Asuka also admired and trusted her, always able to come to her for advice.

Asuka, Julia, and Xiaoyu could make up a pretty typical and eccentric high school clique together – with Xiaoyu's preppiness, and Julia's intellectual attitude and of course Asuka's feisty and tomboy persona.

But one fighter that had definitely set off a whirlwind of excitement and waves of torture and annoyance to Asuka was none other than a tae kwon do excelled fighter, with fiery orange-red hair and a hotheaded attitude and perverted role.

Former thug, ex-soldier, and not to mention as cocky and arrogant as he was a good fighter, Asuka stated that the mysterious and troublemaking Hwoarang could make any perverted bully in Osaka a gentleman. He was the biggest pet peeve to her…and yet she hardly knew him.

With his large female fan club and all the people complaining about him, already Asuka wanted to teach him a lesson before she even met him. It was instinctive of her of course; but no one could blame her, with all the trouble he got into with the other fighters and authorities, the "Little Punk." Though she only ran into him a few times, she could clearly remember his frequent profanity, his rude bluntness, and how he would always annoy her to the core, no matter what self control she could muster from the "training" she had with the bullies back in her neighborhood.

It was surprising how they both got pretty far in the tournament. She was reminded constantly (damn fan girls), how he had the body of a God and the strength and fighting physique of one too. And though she hated to admit it, she remembers how a couple of times she caught a mere glimpse of him training in the dojo…his graceful kicks, fast, swift, and strong…his fighting was like magic to her, since she was not used to the tae kwon do styles. She remembered how she secretly fantasized what it would be like if they fought together.

But before Asuka could meet the Redhead…and before she could even dream deeper of fighting with him…she was constantly reminding herself of the task at hand.

She had been catching up to Feng Wei. Each time. She, Hwoarang, and Feng had managed to make it into the final eight.

Asuka could almost taste the feel of victory…feel the adrenaline pumping within her as she finally made her way in completing her mission…the sweet success of sweet revenge.

She had been so close.

The force, like a pebble being dropped into a pond creating a ripple affect, of a fist slamming into your face – first nothing (just the first tap to the incessant bangs to a door), then sure was something, and finally a hell a lot of a something, with a blinding pain and the swirling sensation of passing out and feeling your numbed body hit the ground; like a dull thud to your brain, but the silent knock of defeat to your heart…it's all gone, it's all over, and the next pain your feeling is the bitter and coarse awareness of failure. With aching muscles and spinning, sharp headaches on the side.

Asuka had never before fully experienced such terrible loathing in her heart and soul, for a man, another fighter. It seemed that Feng Wei had changed her life forever, and had almost taken from her the one person she loved more than fighting, heights, and birds. She never realized that she had the ability to hate another fighter who truly brought out a challenge in her; she had no knowledge until that coming home that fateful day after school, that someone could make her harbor such incredible hatred for them.

But she was mostly angry at herself…for letting herself once again get cocky, once again not fighting hard enough, once again… She never lost a fight. Not in the tournament…not to anyone in Osaka…no one, but her father and Kenichi, where they only ended in draws.

But, as the viewers of the tournament say, it was an amazing and honorable fight: a mere 17-year-old rookie, lasting more than fifteen minutes against a veteran and experienced fighter such as Feng Wei. It truly was another memorable fight against two bitter rivals once more in the history of Tekken tournaments.

…She didn't even give a proper good-bye to Xiao and Julia when she left. All she left was an e-mail, filled with a short (yet "sweet") good-bye and her gratitude, leaving her home address and number.

It was a bittersweet welcome, coming back home. She was filled with the strange and carefree melancholy sensation, as she recalled the days of childhood innocence, and how ancient she felt now.

The hummingbirds' songs didn't not fill the silence like they used to. The sun set hot and heavy, and blindingly bright in the horizon for once. The close and secured neighborhood of hers felt lonely, and alien to her. Not even the yells of juvenile bullies broke through her thoughts, as they fought with some other group of juvenile fighters. And she could not feel even the wind, soft as any lullaby and comforting as any song, penetrate through her shell.

Her wounds…of defeat and failure would eventually be healed by time. Time would let her live again, away from her hatred thoughts and fantasies of castrating Feng Wei, though her hate would still live on. Her friends, she knew, would always be there along with Mrs. Sanada. And she finally knew for certain, that her father would be healed soon enough.

But despite all these reassurances…she knew, that even time would not make everything the same again. The bird was out of her cage, and she was able to fly for once. Though she had fallen badly, she has gotten back up…but it will take her a while to get back home.

For home…was still missing one important element.

She found herself waiting for him. She waited, waited, and waited for him, and she was still waiting for him, when she found out the sad truth…that Kenichi still had not come home.

But she knew that she could not wait for him forever. Though it felt "forever," during the time she was in the tournament…and it felt "forever" since she left school…and the time it took for her to train felt "forever…" she knew, that it would take Kenichi more than forever to complete his mission. A mission, whom Asuka felt would end up like hers… Only this time, time would not heal him.

The day grew darker as dusk crept up on Asuka. The sun began to sink further into the horizon, shades of lavender cleaning up the messy splashes of orange and pink, with Night's own colors of midnight blue etching the purple horizon ever so softly, the sun beginning to surrender to the Night's cool embrace. Yet in the midst of the overtaking dark colors, there was left one last blemish of pink, standing clear yet subtle, proudly.

Asuka did not notice.

Maybe she would' have noticed before…but not now. Her whole world suddenly turned black white, only filled with the effects of day and night. Little things like dawn and dusk were meaningless. It was now, just now, that she felt at peace, finally…for the longest time. Yet she knew it wouldn't last.

Days were filled with the brutal abusive training she inflicted on herself, locked up inside the dojo; along with never ending education work that was needed for the 3WC Junior Division that she had regrettably procrastinated with, training for the Iron Fist. And night would creep up behind her back, and suddenly she slept at 4 am, exhausted, both physically and emotionally. She played the act for her friends, though, when they came to visit, pretending to be ok, using the "at least I tried," performance to them. Yet she found herself, becoming more distant from them, only going out mainly for Megumi. Yet this façade was obvious to Mrs. Sanada.

"You've got to move on, Asuka. You have your whole life ahead of you, and you only live once. Wasn't that what you wanted? To "live?" Well take a look at what you're doing now, sweetheart. What would your father think?"

Her father…he was doing a slightly speedy recovery, despite the fact that he was still in the hospital. He was furious when he found out she left for the tournament, and not for school. Yet he felt proud of her achievements, and didn't mind at all that she had lost to Feng Wei.

"Frankly, I'm quite appalled that you thought you could fight a man such as Feng Wei," her father scowled her. "He could have seriously brought damage to you! What were you thinking?" Then he sighed at the pained expression on her face. "But I can't say I'm not proud of how far you came through out the tournament. Why, Kenichi must have taught you pretty well…I can't wait to spar with you in battle myself…as well as watching the two of you! You see, I told you he was a strapping young lad after all."

Asuka didn't have the heart to tell his father that this "strapping young lad" and the very son he never had, had disappeared on a revenge mission himself. And that his father was dead, murdered rather, for she knew that he greatly respected the Masamunes. The truth would tear him.

It was getting darker. The Night's midnight blue colors had only just overpowered Day's warmness, making the air slightly chilly against her bare arms. Ebony fingers curled against the blue night sky, as several stars began to come out, twinkling in all its glory.

Reminiscing in the field of grass…brought a surge of emotions to Asuka. Her thoughts were a-scattered, from memories of the tournament to memories of Kenichi. Her new friends Xiao, and Julia, and even the annoying Red-head…to Kenichi's deep sapphire eyes, filled with quiet melancholy, and wisdom…

When she first met him, all she ever wanted to do was break through his shell to see what hid the behind his stoic wall.

To see the roots to his glum-filled eyes, and give him back the Kenichi she loved to be around…but it was too late. Even if he did come back, he would have been changed forever. And he had, the day they went to Kyoto.

He broke his promise.

The hate, and sorrow, and failure numbed Asuka. How she needed her father dearly.

Asuka stood up. The quarter moon glowed vividly against the dark skyline. The cool wind played at her hair once more, causing her to suppress shivers.

She made a vow. She will not turn into those drama-over-hormonal-depressed-attention-wanting-emo-freaks who thought they had real problems that no one could fix. Though the world she had grown to know and love was fading away, she will not let that get her down.

In a week she would be leaving for Tokyo once more. The little bird was all grown up. It was time to stretch her wings and start all over.

_Time to fly, go out in the opening. Look at the world around you, girl; it's time to explore._

As she left her little sanctuary, she wiped her face with her sleeve.

**Sachi**: Oh yeah…**you guys disappoint me**. You actually thought I'd give up on Kenichi **that** easily? He may be pretty stubborn but he won't be away forever now.


	11. Ch 11 :: A New Begining

**Sachi Gosetsuke**: Woo-hoo! Oh yeah! I'm done with this chapter! Woo! Finally! (seriously guys, I was doing the conga as I uploaded this chapter) Yeah, would've updated this sooner, if not for the bad news just recently dropped upon me not-so long ago :/

**Innocent Nightmare**: holy tortillas! You're back! –**seizures**- lol it's been ages since I've seen you here! But then again, I haven't been back here in a while, so I could've missed a lot…

**Paulien**: lol you're a dork. But I love you anyway. –**hands an egg roll**- lay off the caffeine a bit, Mom.

Oh yeah…I hate to disappoint you guys, but that's all I'm gonna give out for the tournament. At least, for the 5th tournament…:)

**DISCLAIMER**: Asuka and any other Tekken characters are all property of **Namco**. Kenichi is the sole property of **Psychoblue**. Don't even debate with me.

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_Ch. 11_: A New Beginning

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A Month Later 

Jaw-dropping sky-scrappers. Bustling people. Neon lights and busy streets. Japan's capital.

Tokyo City.

The concrete jungle of Japan's modern world.

Thousands of people, young and old, all wandering about in Tokyo, all with different purposes, different lives, trying to make a living for themselves or just exploring Tokyo's vast shopping industries. Few stopping to stare at the world around them. Few stopping to reflect on the events of their life that led them to the exact point here in Tokyo. Just millions of faces in a crowd.

But one was not in the crowd.

Away from the city's chaos and a numerous of high advance transportation…a red robin was soaring along the horizon, coming from the direction of the sun.

The bird was just exploring, flying, opening its wings and enjoying its freedom within the blue skies. This bird craved for open space, to feel the wind against its wings, and to just _soar_. After many struggles caused by mankind, this bird was finally able to stretch its wings all over again…and it was flying free, finally.

And high atop Tokyo Tower, Tokyo's main and highest skyscraper…was a teenaged girl, whose life was not too different from the robin's. A strong gust of wind blew from behind her, but instead she welcomed it. And as the wind calmed down, the robin flew past her. As it did so, Asuka Kazama flew by with it on her mountain bike.

She pedaled faster and faster, the wind in her auburn hair, a grin forming on her lips as she raced the robin. Heart pumping, adrenaline rushing, her thrill-seeking senses were on overdrive as the edge of the building came nearer, and nearer.

At last, the bird flew away from the building with Asuka on it's heels…and Asuka flew off the building as well, free of the concrete ground beneath the tires of her bike.

For a split-second in her lifetime, the world seemed to pause its rotation…it seemed as if Mother Earth took a deep breath with Asuka as well, as time stood still and Asuka stayed, for a fraction of a second, in Tokyo city's skyline.

Like flying. Almost.

And then she was free falling.

With a joyful yelp, she shifted her and her bike's weight upwards, and landed unharmed and safe and sound on another building.

And this was only her Sunday morning routine.

All too quickly, but not quick enough to catch her off guard, the ground disappeared once more as she again rode with the winds and scraped the skies with her tires. Readying herself for the next building, a fuzzy brown object caught her eye.

Turning her head, she saw a defenseless kitten struggling to climb the edge of a supermarket's building.

Jerking her bike upwards once more, almost ten seconds too late, she quickly jumped to a nearby fire escape, grinding the railings with her bike. She ricocheted off the railings, and kicked off another nearby building and snatched the kitten, saving it from its nasty fate with the concrete ground.

Jumping off the building's railings, she landed on the ground, scaring off a bunch of people…yet she was skidding to a perfect halt, cuddling the kitten.

"Tokie!" child's voice cried out with relief. A small child in a baseball cap, ripped jeans and sneakers came running towards Asuka, and a beam on his face.

"Here you go, kid," Asuka said brightly, handing the cat Tokie to its owner.

"Arigato! Arigato!" he said, bowing over and over again to Asuka. The child turned and ran off…but not before the baseball cap fell off, revealing a mane of long, auburn hair.

Asuka raised an eyebrow, watching the little girl run back to retrieve her cap. The girl ran off again to a group of boys her age, and she joined them to a game of soccer.

Asuka smiled to herself, as she perched back on her bike and rode off. _I guess the generation of tomboyism isn't dead after all_, Asuka mused to herself. _You see something new everyday_…

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"Kazama, over here!"

Turning her head, Asuka saw a girl just a year older than her. Running towards her with a familiar looking guy, the girl's straight, blue-black (1) hair flew past her, her usual beam bright on her face.

Asuka returned the smile and waved back at her fellow classmate. "Hey Hazuki!" she called back.

Catching up to Asuka, the girl dragged along a dark-haired, fair-skinned, olive complexion Caucasian boy just Hazuki's age. He gave a sheepish grin to Asuka and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Hey, Asuka," he said brightly, yet timidly. Asuka smiled back at the tall boy.

"Hey, Collin," she replied cheerfully.

Hazuki shot a knowing look at Collin, and nudged him in the ribs and raised an eyebrow.

Asuka suppressed a smirk. She knew very well that since the first day she came to the 3WC's Junior Division, Collin had been developing a crush on her. Hazuki was always hinting on how well the two of them "meshed."

Yet Asuka wasn't interested. Really. Sure he was really sweet, handsome, intelligent, and thoughtful…yet her heart told her otherwise, telling her to wait a little, and her feelings for him never went beyond simple friendship.

Besides. He was shy. Overprotective. And too safe. It took more than that and charm to win her heart…

Hazuki flipped her sleek long hair back and said, "So, what do you do all the time up at Tokyo Tower? Not planning on jumping off, are you?" She chuckled at her own little joke.

Asuka bit back a grin and glanced at her mountain bike that she had just finished locking to a bike railing. "Oh, just needed a bit of air," she said vaguely.

Hazuki brushed away her simple reply. "Anyways," she said boldly, "Me and Collin were just running some errands. And tomorrow a group of friends and us are going to this club. Care to join?"

Asuka replied with a nonchalant shrug. "Sure."

Hazuki grinned triumphantly and draped her arms around Asuka's and Collin's shoulders, making them walk closer together. "Great!" she said, sneaking away from them and admiring her "matchmaking work" from up ahead.

Collin smiled apologetically at Asuka and whispered close to her ear, "Sorry. Didn't even know we were running errands together…or going to a club for that matter."

Asuka chuckled softly and replied, "Hey, that's Hazuki for you." She placed her hands at the back of her head and walked on.

She liked Hazuki. She was a little too loud and a little too bold and overbearing…but she was nice. She helped her out on the first day she got to Tokyo and had kept on helping her out since. They shared a dorm together as well.

But Hazuki reminded her a little of Megumi. Always trying to set her up with a guy, trying to find a perfect "girl-ish" outfit for her, flirting, shopping, gossiping…and when she thought about Megumi, she thought about Osaka, and her father, and Mrs. Sanada, and…

"Anyone in there?" Megumi jibed, snapping Asuka back to reality.

"Huh?" she replied dumbly.

Megumi shook her head. "Oh, never mind, Kazama." She sighed irritably, and shot a look at Collin and jerked her head back at Asuka, cueing him.

Taking it, he cleared his throat a little, and stammered, "So…er…nice day we're having, right?"

Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, she only smiled and nodded. He was trying too hard.

A wave of relief flooded through her as they reached the pharmacy.

Hazuki entered first, Asuka and Collin trailing behind. Being the gentleman he was, Collin opened the door for Asuka, and followed close behind her.

Instinctive discomfort crawled up her skin, yet she brushed it off. It's been a while since she had any guy crushing on her, after all.

But sometimes she wondered why she never really did let Collin in. Why did she reject him so? He was sweet, sweeter than any guy for that matter, or at least he wasn't one of those assholes who expected all girls to open their legs for them. And he could make her laugh, and actually listened more than he showed off. Asuka could tell that he would be a perfect catch, someone who would definitely love her, help her…so why not give him a chance?

Behind her, she heard the distinct sound of several magazines falling off its rack, and perhaps the rack falling along with them. Collin quickly stuttered a lame apology.

She sighed inwardly. Maybe that was why.

Hurrying up to Hazuki, she took her by the arm and slipped away from Collin behind the deodorant aisle.

"Hazuki, what are you trying to do to me?" Asuka hissed in despair.

"Oh c'mon, Asuka!" Hazuki argued. "Collin's a nice guy, the least you can do is be kind back to him, and perhaps give him a chance."

Asuka sighed. "Hazuki, I'm not interested, or for any love-searching quests for that matter. I'm not looking for a boyfriend, or _the one _just yet, ok?"

"Well, what do you know? Maybe there's more to Collin than you think. Maybe he _is_ "the One.""

Asuka rolled her eyes. "Please, you think Collin is fit enough to be my true love? He just knocked down a magazine rack for God's sake."

"Zuki, Collin is a sweet guy…and he really likes you, you know…"

Asuka sighed again. It was true that he was in love with her. And he is really nice. But still…

"Hazuki, I'm just not interested. Collin is my friend. Nothing more, and nothing less."

Hazuki let out a frustrating groan. "Kami, Asuka, you are messed _up_! I'll never be able to get you, Kazama! Never! When the time comes when someone finally breaks through your shell, it won't be me, my friend. Nope!"

Asuka grinned and hugged her into a headlock. "You love me," she teased.

Hazuki untangled herself from Asuka and huffed. "Whatever. We need bathroom stuff for our dorm, by the way."

Still grinning, Asuka followed Hazuki out of the aisle and back to Collin.

Collin looked at the two girls' expression (well, at Asuka), and asked, "What?"

"Nothing," Asuka answered brightly.

"Nothing," Hazuki answered back grumpily.

Chuckling to herself, she took Collin by the hand and said, "Here, help me pick out some snacks, Collin." Just for Hazuki's sake.

At the snack aisle, Asuka asked in a mock-serious manner, "Hmm, what'll it be, Collin? Hershey Kisses or Lays?"

"Better take the Kisses," Collin said seriously, "Heard they really help girls like you."

He grinned and added a bag of barbeque chips to her basket. "Yeah, and those too."

Asuka batted her eyes flirtatiously. "Oh? To, "pump up our minds" or, "perk us up a bit?""

"Both," he answered, "And they're really good."

She laughed and handed him low-carb slim-fast bars. "You definitely need to loose some lbs., no offense."

He laughed and said, "Yeah, but you're paying for it."

"Well, then pay for the chips and chocolate."

He smiled charmingly. The smile that usually got girls melting…and had no affect on Asuka. "Ok, you pay for half, and I'll pay for the chips."

Asuka grinned and high-fived him. "Fine. Loser."

---------------------------------------

Asuka walked out of the store, in a happier mood, carrying a bag filled with chips, Kisses, and toothpaste. Behind her, Collin called back at to her.

"Yeah?" Asuka asked, trying not to sound irritated.

He smiled sheepishly, and tugged her gently away from Hazuki's suspicious gaze. "I, uh, have a project to do for my Photos class," he explained, running a hand through his dark tresses.

Asuka nodded, "And?"

Collin replied, "And, I was wondering, maybe you and I could, uh, sorta ditch Hazuki and, uh…take a walk through a park or something, and…you know, f-for photos?" he stammered nervously at the last part, holding out his camera.

Asuka gave a super-sweet apologetic smile. "Gee, Collin, that sounds nice, but I had to catch up on some of my training…" A walk to the park, especially with a friend sounded nice, yet when it comes to later in the day during a Sunday, it was Asuka-time, and Asuka-time was spent best alone sorting out thoughts.

Asuka tried not to let the expression on his face change her mind as he replied quietly, "Oh…right. I understand." The old smile came back. "Maybe some other time?"

She returned the expression and answered, "Course."

He pivoted off with a wave. "See you later, I guess."

"See you…"

Asuka stuck her hands into her pockets and made her way towards the bike rack.

Whistling a tuneless song, she hopped on her beloved mountain bike, and pedaled away, full speed ahead, skillfully and just narrowing missing the people in front of her.

The city flashes by in colorful displays, of blurred scenery, the never ending seas of strangers and neon lights just beginning to brighten deafeningly as the day began to darken. With the wind on the back of her neck, in her hair, and the fragments of the city's dust and gravel gathering at the tires of her bike, she pedaled on, ignoring the complaints of the people jumping away. This didn't slow her down. The sun, heavy and hot on the horizon, began to lower into its set, and the lazy swirls of pink and orange turned lavender, and blue. Deja vu. But she pedaled on.

All she needed was this freedom. The freedom to ride, and to keep riding on. This freedom, here in Tokyo, was probably the freedom that she really needed. This was probably the cure to her sorrow of yesterday, sorrow that she only truly experienced just a month ago…

It's this freedom that made her forget that there ever was a time when she wasn't herself. Almost.

Memories of the past throbbed in the back of her mind. Like the annoying buzz of a mosquito. But she brushed it away and let the wind blow on, carrying it away the sins of the past, keeping its secrets in the dark shadows of her mind, locked in Pandora's box, and she relished the feel of the wind in her hair to purify her wounds and to numb the memories temporarily. Like a bird flying around in its open space, depending on the wind beneath its wing to support her.

All in all, life in Tokyo had been wonderful. Exactly what she needed. Not once did she spend her time moping around aimlessly, spending time in the past, and crying…she proved her word right that she wouldn't go all "emo." Instead, she went exploring, going through exciting times in the city, having loads of fun at her WWWC classes…in fact, she was possibly the youngest top student in her Junior Division. It must run through the family.

It was a perfect way to start all over. Here, she was only Asuka Kazama, fresh age of 18, college student and 3WC Junior Officer, and skillful at martial arts…no one had to know exactly _how _skilled she was or how she used to beat up people around her neighborhood, or that she grew up with no mother, and nobody knew of her pain and depression that took part in the past…so all in all, no one _really_ had to know that one wrong move could have them on the ground with one swift and painful kick from her.

She honestly didn't mind. No one to judge her, no one to fear her. She respected in a way most were. However, she still stood out in her own special way. It was something that she couldn't necessarily control, nor minded.

There were those few people who recognized her from the tournament. They all retold the tale to her, how they were struck awe at her last fight with her bitter enemy…being complimented and admired so was a guilty pleasure she allowed to take over her exasperating memories of defeat.

Life, so far, was perfect…in the meantime.

She stopped her bike at a quiet park. It was the only park where it was actually quiet. It was strange to think that there could actually be someplace peaceful, and with less inhabitants to intrude upon here on Tokyo. Less excitement. Almost like that small empty space within one's soul.

She parked her bike against the stone wall, and walked about, letting the quarter moon's light to guide her. The night was just beginning to darken, as the evening crept on faster and turned into night.

Yet she wasn't fazed, as she carried on almost lazily. After all, she was ace prowess in her own Kazama-ryu. Any creep who tried to mess with her would just end up with their face in the concrete. And if they were lucky enough, it wouldn't be in there permanently.

So it didn't come as a surprise when she realized she was being followed.

She walked on, more alert and on her guard, but she didn't let her appearance show it. All she wanted was this stranger to think she was an innocent, naïve college student, so that when he attacked, she would…

There was movement behind her. She turned. And just a couple yards away, there was a blurry silhouette. Tall. Bulky…and dangerous.

She narrowed her eyes, almost challenging the stranger to come nearer, checking to see if this figure was something to worry about. But he didn't move. Instead he stood at his spot, hidden by the shadows, staring back at her…or at least, she assumed he was staring back at her. After all, he was hidden in the dark, his face not able to be detected by her suspecting eyes, unreadable, a mystery…

And quick as a flash, he ran away.

Instinct made her run after him, though the back of her mind said, _Let him go_…yet something in her heart, something in the pit of her stomach, something in the roots of her tingling skin and shiver running up her spine told her that she must follow, that there was something to this figure that she knew she had to risk danger and just run after.

He ran fast, but not fast enough. A great distance away, she was still able to keep up with him, his dark back always in her vision. The man was smart to run away from the many people behind them. They reached a dark alley way, where she knew that it wouldn't be smart to go into and chase this stranger…but she kept running on, not knowing why she was still running, why she was still chasing after him, what she excepted to get out of this and what she was running for…

Her breath came in gasps, but she was used to this, since she's had many years of martial arts, soccer, and track. Her heart was hammering wildly in her chest, her legs running faster and faster, a surge of adrenaline pumping through her veins…and the curiosity within her that told her something was up.

Or perhaps the familiarity of the stranger running away from her.

He made an unexpected turn behind a brick wall, throwing her off guard, but she ran after him and turned as well. And all she found was a telephone booth, a dark, lone alleyway with a lamppost shining deafeningly to the ground.

And she was alone again.

She sighed in frustration, and ran a shaky hand through her hair. She turned around and saw just how much ground they had covered, and cursed herself for doing something to irrational and stupid.

_Great_, she thought angrily, _I just stapled a sign on my forehead saying "Idiot" and scared a way a poor stranger, and now I'm miles away from my bike_—

The phone rang.

She looked at the ringing phone in the musty telephone booth and tilted her head in confusion.

_I didn't know you could call a telephone booth_…

She looked around as if trying to find some passerby who could coincidentally know the answer to this predicament she was in. to answer, or to just walk away. Well she had many opportunities to just walk away from the stranger. So might as well…

She walked over to the telephone booth and took the phone from its cradle. She tentatively put it in her ear, hoping that there would be no response, just planning to place it back right away and once again wondering what the hell she was doing…

"Moshi, moshi?" (2)

"…"

Nothing but silence. And the annoying ticking of her wristwatch that suddenly seemed to be blasting away.

"Uh, hello?" she tried again. Then she scowled. "What the hell am I doing? Oh my God, yeah, I'll just talk to myself for a bit here, and—,"

"You are in danger."

She froze, her heart skipping a beat. "…Wh…What did you say…?"

"Go back home and stay there. Forget what you know. Forget everything."

Her confusion built up and her heart sped up. She practically screamed, "Hey, what are you--?"

_T-click_.

Nothing. Nothing but the dial tone, and her ticking wristwatch, and her fast breath and hammering heart. And the deafening sound of silence.

You are in danger.

What did they mean, she was in danger? Who was this person? What was going on?

…And what did they mean, forget what she knew? What _did_ she know?

And then, the bird realized once more, that no matter how long she flew, how fast she flew…she could not escape her past.

Apparently, Life had many more unfortunate events in stored for Asuka. In the distance, she could almost hear the crooning sound of a bird's sad coo. She shivered, the hairs on her neck standing as the wind came in and whistled a familiar tune. She recognized it as the winds of change.

She came to Tokyo to begin a new life, to start over. What a new life she was about to begin…

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**Sachi: **grr. The ending **sucked**. Sorry. I just wanted to end this quickly.

Oh yeah, and pay close attention to this chapter…'cause the next chapter or the chapter after that, will be the end. **Sorry**. _It's been a fun ride_.

(1) I chose blue-black for her hair color for a reason…'cause it's now my new hair color xD

(2) **Moshi, moshi** – it's how they answer the phone in Japan.


	12. Epilogue :: Her Song

**Sachi Gosetsuke**: typical me for being so un-creative last year and choosing an old corny song as the title of a story that was beyond that song. Ugh. Eye-roll worthy much?

Well since there's nothing I can do about it, I guess we'll just have to live with it. I mean, this _**is**_ the last chapter and all. XD it's been a blast with you guys.

So let's take a moment of this story so I can thank all of you faithful reviewers who gave me a _crap load_ of reviews:

**Psychoblue**: the man who made it happen. Yes, you :) I can't thank you enough for letting me borrow Kenichi. I'm glad you think I did a fine job with him here (At least, I HOPE you think so). Thanks for all the helpful and critique reviews that got me wanting more.

**Thunderxtw**: thank you for not sticking to a "good job, update soon" review as well! I look forward to reading your reviews and I am so glad that one of my favorite authors actually read one of my stories. You're a fantastic writer and I hope this chapter is good to you!

And since I am tired of typing already, a huge thank you to **Wait-for-sleep**, **NCTeKken08**, **Scarlet-Child**, **xjmaster**, **rituel**, **Thee S**., **Hibeki**, **Ichigo** **Kyuuketsuki**, **Hatori** **Fujiwara**, and **MANY** more.

And now…onto this VERY long chapter!

**DISCLAIMER**: Asuka and any other Tekken characters are all property of **Namco**. Kenichi is the sole property of **Psychoblue**. And any lyrics, references to bands and band members aren't mine as well.

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_Ch. 12_: Epilogue: Her Song

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"I may not have _gone_ where I **intended** to go, but I think I have _ended up_ where I **intended to be**."

–Douglas Adams.

* * *

**I have**_ seen innocence, pure, blissful, and perfect, grow and old weary as fear and heartache overshadows the faithful and brave. My hands slightly callused yet still smooth, rough yet still strong have felt and touched the most painful of pain and has not yet lost a finger. My eyes, sharp and observant have seen the cruelty and doubtful, yet is still curious, still shining, still seeking…_

_No matter what Life had to offer me, it did not break me. I still kept on, still fought on, still kept on soaring… And though I've made my mistakes, I still learned, and when I lost myself and ended up in dead ends, I knew that this was meant to be and it would only get better. Fate is fate, and if my fate is to die this way, then so be it. I may not be where I wanted to be. But it was meant to be, and __**intended**__ to be from the beginning. So I hold my head up high._

_A voice, still young, loud, and un-wise and un-thinking, still speaks. Still seeks. Still sings. It is my voice. And mine alone. And shall forever tell the story and the truth and ask the unanswered questions. And it will live on, no matter if its words are still unspoken, secrets still needed to be revealed…__**it will live on**_

_And finally…my wings. What wings, you may ask? Well don't you remember? My name is Asuka Kazama. Asuka means soaring board, also known as __**flying bird of the open space**__. I was born with wings, both spiritually and literally. Never was I meant for a "normal" life…never was I meant for a cage. I soared where my heart desired, and for that…I am thankful._

_They say I am beautiful. I disagree. They say I am the spitting image of my beautiful, angelic mother, her shining brown pearls reflecting through mine…and yet I was born with the spunk and arrogance and "spitfire" attitude of my father's. That I cannot disagree with._

_I miss them. I also miss many more. But I believe that there are some things in this world that are done for a reason. While one door closes, the other one opens. I have always believed in this. It is true, that's why. With this, I have managed on for only so long, and it has been worth it…_

_However…there are still many doors to be open. There are still many questions unanswered. The bird has taken flight, but has not landed yet, and the eyes are still looking, the hands are still reaching, the voice is still calling…_

It's not over yet.

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Sensei Kazama hummed a tuneless tune as he flipped the pages of the newspaper he was reading. It was an ideal way to spend his Friday afternoon after finishing with his class: reading the weekly paper while the classical music played in the background, hot cup of tea to his right, a soft antique lamp turned on to his left, peace and silence, and no troubles for him to solve on a quiet, lazy, dreary drizzle April day.

He had ten minutes to kill before Trouble came from school. Not that he was being heartless.

The clocked ticked on and ten minutes later he heard no loud footsteps. No shouts of greeting to him. No bag pack being thrown across the hardwood floor, squeaky wet shoes being kicked off, and perhaps its owner slipping with it from tripping on their socks. Nothing.

The clocked ticked on. The drizzle lessoned but remained. The silence was driving him mad.

Five minutes later and the door opened.

Casually looking up at his paper in the nick of time, he saw Asuka Kazama, 14 and half years old, attempting to sneak off upstairs.

He raised an eyebrow.

"…How was your day?"

She grinned lopsidedly.

"Fine. How was _your_ day?"

"Fine."

Pause.

He began, "Asuka…why are you covered in mud?"

She looked down at herself, and pretended to be surprised at the fact that head to toe, she was alas, covered in mud. Color her surprise.

She sighed in defeat and replied sheepishly, "I…got into a fight. With a 12th grader."

He stared on. And with the same raised eyebrow, "And…?"

She continued, "And…I won…?"

He said nothing. He looked back to his newspaper and turned the page. "That's my girl…"1

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"_Now that I know what I'm without,  
__  
You can't just leave me  
__  
Breathe into me and make me real,  
__  
Bring me to life"_

Asuka nodded along to Evanescence's, "Bring Me To Life." Evanescence. A long-time, favored band. Ever since their first album came out, she knew it was something different, something cool, and something that definitely defines "music." As old as the song was, she still couldn't get enough of it.

What she liked about Evanescence was that Amy Lee's lyrics were _real_. Based on cruelties unseen and ignored that only so little yet so many people could truly understand. Call it "emo" or "gothic" but this was what music was all about: reaching out to others.

_Evanescence_. It was such a beautifully haunting name that just rolled perfectly on her tongue. Ironic to her, the actual word meant "to fade or fading away," or something along those lines. It was strange because to her, their songs simply did the opposite. It was adrenaline rushing, the amazing mix of rock/gothic/metal guitar and basses, and Amy Lee's simply _amazing_ wide-range voice that sang the lyrics that words could not say… Though as dark and eerie as most their songs were, Evanescence simply created tremendous and breathtaking music.

It was true; Asuka was a sucker for good music. She loved anything actually, but really, she was a rock star through and through. The thought of head banging to an awesome metal concert, or singing along to a punk rock band, or even dancing wildly or playing along to any good rock or metal or Goth or punk or anything band…it was just as exciting as fighting. Or jumping off Tokyo Tower ten times over.

She's been an expert at almost all instruments, mainly percussion. She could play a mean drum solo on her precious drums (which sadly, she has not had time to use in far too long), was a decent singer, wasn't so bad on the guitar and bass… She could even clap almost any beat (a talent which she isn't afraid to laugh at), could name any note, song, band, album, anything ever made…but her heart was only for the drums and listening to music. She and her friends have had only few jam sessions, but nothing serious. She's made it to chorus, jazz band, and any percussions-instrument-player in school musicals… Anything music, she tried it out. But her heart settled for the good old rock.

On one, un-Asuka like occasion, she had taken piano lessons for a time as well. She had been nine, maybe eight, possibly till she was ten or eleven or even twelve when twice a week after school, she would walk to her piano teacher's house for a private session.

Her teacher was about 100 years old, who wore the thickest yet smallest and oldest bifocals right on the edge of her nose, a frizzy dark gray mop of a hair, and wrinkles galore. She owned a very boisterous voice, and a million cats, and a very strong passion for music…classical music. What Asuka remembers clearly and vividly about what she most enjoyed about piano was making funny faces at her teacher behind her back and teaching the cats to jump on top of her teacher's head.

It wasn't a surprise at all that Asuka just _happened_ to always get in trouble. She could never sit still; _that_ was the main problem of it. Several times, she had almost been kicked out of piano and even more times been threatened so. But it was better than forcing herself to be polite and accepting her atrocious ancient candy that always took nearly the whole session to chew.

It didn't help that Asuka happened to be a klutz. Never a day goes by where she doesn't trip. Or gain a bandage. It was just one of those things that Asuka really doesn't mean to be: clumsy and accident-prone. Just ask her teachers. And doctor. She doesn't mean to break some antique vase or two or simply demolish something expensive and always, always, _everyday_ trip on the priceless Oriental rug on her way to the piano. And others. It happens.

But one day, her teacher just got so impatient with her, and finally had it.

Or at least it has to be. Why then had her teacher quit? All she did was as usual, come up to her door after school, and rang her doorbell…well…her doorbell is the melody to "Wonderful World," and that day she tripped on the steps, fell on her knee, shrugged, and rang the doorbell…and instead of "Wonderful World," she received a BING. BING. BONK. And according to her teacher, it was her fault that the doorbell broke.

All in all, her heart isn't entirely set on the piano.

But it was all right. She added it to her list of _Instruments She Can Play_ anyway. But she was more into the keyboard. All of it's unending technology and uses, along with Asuka's vast imagination…amazing.

Music was just important to her. End of story.

She sat there on her bed next to her window, her head clear, her heart calm, her senses in peace…with only her iPod plugged in and the good old hit single "Bring Me To Life" playing…as she tried to make sense of what had just happened only so long ago that very night.

It was probably around 10:00 now. She had frantically searched for her bike after that creepy phone call, raced home, threw open her dorm door (to find that for fortune's sake, her roommate decided to go clubbing for the night), and turned on the shower and stepped right in. She didn't want to think. All she wanted to do right now was try and forget everything that has happened, live life the way she wanted to live it, and numb her senses by switching to as freezing cold water as she could stand in the shower.

And now she was there an hour later, iPod plugged in, hair wrapped in towel still, and just…taking a pause.

And for once…she was listening to this song a little more different than usual, and little more closely.

_Bring me to life_.

It was so strange…how all her life she had wanted exactly that.

_I remember, as I grew older, and matured over the years, I felt trapped in my own home. _

Ever since she knew how to fight, she had been fighting for justice, fighting for truth. But it was more like _searching_ for justice, _searching_ for truth.

_It was as if I had no freedom – even though I did…But…it was the fact that my life was so typical, and normal. I wanted adventure. I wanted to break free of the ties that hold me in place, and just…_fly

And just like how every Christmas or birthday, or just some random surprise, she was on a scavenger hunt, hunting for gift, for the reward at the end. Only now it was different.

_Maybe it was because there were some things my father doesn't tell me._

Was it all just a coincidence? That she had learned to solve those little riddles, manage every obstacle in her way…And the fact that she had been fighting for some purpose…could Fate had been preparing her for this exact moment?

_Or maybe it was because I wanted to escape my own world._

It seemed that just now, everything was starting to make sense; that the fog was starting to clear up; that this was what she was searching for…and at the same time, she now finally began _searching_.

_I was the bird, trapped in her cage, waiting to fly._

She was on another search. Another scavenger hunt. But for what and what purpose, and where to start and where she needed to end…she didn't know. She didn't care.

_I wanted to fly and break free of the ties that bound me to my place._

It was time to find that last puzzle piece, for questions unanswered, for answers that needed reasons, for something, something, _something_…

_I didn't know that there would be something out there that I couldn't see, couldn't feel, that I was not ready for._

She deserved the truth. There was something being kept from her, something she needed to know about.

_I was Asuka Kazama, 17 years old, serving justice to others, and searching for the truth_.

Her heart began to thump a little faster as she realized this. She was almost scared of how excited she was.

_But if I never did experience it…if I never did see it…I would have never known._

The chorus of the song came up.

_Wake me up_.

_Wake me up inside (I can't wake up)_

_Wake me up inside (save me)_

_C__all my name and save me from the dark  
__  
(Wake me up) Bid my blood to run  
_

_(I can't wake up) Before I come undone  
_

_(Save me) Save me from the nothing I've become_

_Bring me to life…_

Asuka snorted ironically. _If my life were a movie, this would be my theme song_, she thought. But she stopped and listened to the next verse. _Frozen inside without your touch, without your love, darling. Only you are the life among the dead_.

…Amy Lee was pleading for redemption. Quite unlike her own. Amy Lee was asking, no, _begging_ for help. Almost in fear. Whereas Asuka was definitely not.

The song was about discovering something or someone that awakens a feeling inside them that they've never had before. Realizing the cold, hard truth. That something was definitely up. Clouds across the sky. It was about discovering that there is a world bigger than their safe and secured bubble. And with that realization, they start to seek for help, redemption.

But Asuka was not asking for help. She was discovering, but still searching, still looking, still seeking. She wasn't cowering or holding back, waiting for someone else to help her. She was doing this on her own.

_It was because of the fact that the princesses were all frail and dainty, waiting for their prince charming to rescue them, when they could easily just do it themselves. Even at the age of 5, I saw those princesses giving a bad name to girls._

All her life she strived to be independent, that in the end the only one to help her was herself. There was no such thing as a prince in shining armor. Or a fairy Godmother. Or a pumpkin magically turning into a chariot to drive her away from her troubles. If there was a problem, she was going to fix it. No matter what.

And in the music video, Amy Lee is singing out to a guy, a "boyfriend" of hers that she begs to bring her to life. This sends signals to girls thinking that only their knight in shining armor can bring them to life. But what happens in the video? He dropped her. But of course, Amy Lee could have been trying to tell us this message…

A part of her head was still thinking, _I don't get this…is this still "my song?" Or is it just another fairytale? _But the other part was jumping up and down, her towel falling to the ground shouting, _I get it! I get it!_

_I am not Cinderella, waiting for my prince in shining armor to rescue me._

She wasn't going to give up and give in to the something that made her realize there was something out there. She wasn't going to wait around for answers, for help, for her "man." She was going to _get_ answers, help herself, and if she had to, she would beat up anyone who would stand in her way. Just like she would always do. Just like how she told Kenichi that if there was another world out there, she was going after it.

Because never was there a time when she _didn't_ do these things. Whether it was the time she had beaten up a 12th grader, or the time when she stopped those bullies in the alley from mugging an innocent… Maybe she almost gave up last month. But it wasn't happening now.

With that, she switched to shuffle and listened to a new song.

_I can see  
When you stay low __**nothing happens**__  
Does it feel right? _

Late at night,  
things I thought I put behind me,  
_**haunt my mind  
**__  
__**I just know there's no escape now**_

_Once it sets its eyes on you  
but __**I won't run**__, have to stare it in the eye _

_**Stand my ground**__, I won't give in  
No more denying, _

_**I got to face it**__  
Won't close my eyes,_

_**And hide the truth inside**__  
If I don't make it, someone else will  
__  
Stand my ground._

("Stand My Ground" by **Within Temptation**).

---------------------------------------

"I can't believe you."

She stared straight ahead, scowling at God-knows-what, and walked at a faster pace to go back home. But Megumi kept up with her.

"You don't believe what, exactly?" she asked with a murmur.

"That you didn't bother stopping her!" Megumi cried out. "That you didn't bother try talking her out of it! Or even beat some sense into her! You did _nothing_!"

She jumped in front of her to stop Asuka from walking.

She glared down at her small height. Though they were both 15 and Asuka had been the fast bloomer in their friendship, Megumi was still taller than her. "Do you know how _unlike_ you that IS?"

Asuka didn't bother answering.

Megumi continued, "Our friend just said that she was planning on running away…and you didn't do a damn thing." She lowered her voice to a softer level. "I had expected her to get angry."

Asuka made a face. "So you're mad that I didn't try to kill her?"

She didn't answer right away. She raised her dainty hand to push her bangs back. "Not literally…"

Asuka sighed. "What did you expect me to say?" she said. "She wouldn't have listened to me any other way. She had been thinking about this for a while, and once she sets her mind on something, she does it. Like me. And she _needs_ to leave this place. You and I both know this."

"But…" Megumi trailed off. Yes, she understood perfectly clear that their friend's foster parents weren't ideal as they would've like. "Look…I mean, I guess being a true friend and all, the only thing we _can_ do about it is just…well…there are other ways to solve these things though! We can always…"

"'Gumi, we've already tried going to the police and telling people," Asuka said painfully. "And no, just letting someone run away is not being a very true friend. And it's not that I actually support her doing this…I mean…I really think it's a bad idea…I just want her to change her mind on her own."

"What if she doesn't?" Megumi asked.

Asuka stayed silent and continued to stare past her. "If she wants an out," Asuka answered in a low voice, "Then fine. She's older than us. She has bigger problems than us. I know she can take care of herself."

Megumi nodded. She had to agree with her. Their friend had grown up a little too fast, being past on from foster home to foster home over the years as a young child. And being almost 18, she could actually take care of herself.

Megumi said, "I know her foster parents are psychopaths and all but…do you really think it's a good idea to just…_let_ her?"

Asuka replied, "Again. If she wants out, she wants out. She's a big girl."

Megumi just shook her head sadly. "I just don't get it though…"2

Asuka said, "I do." She walked off wordlessly.

_Because sometimes I want to get out too_…

---------------------------------------

"…Please?"

Asuka looked away.

"…_Pretty_ please?"

She inspected the hole in her jeans.

"…_Please_, please?"

She checker her watch.

"But _why_-yyy?"

She sighed and replied back with every ounce of annoyance, "Because I have stuff to do, _ok_?"

Hazuki pouted angrily. "But you ALWAYS cancel these things, last minute!"

Asuka retorted, "Uh, not ALL the time."

Hazuki replied, "Look, if it's because of the thing between you and Collin, I'm sorry, ok? If you don't want to go out with him, then fine, but _please_ come to the club with us! PLEASE!"

Asuka hopped off the desk she had been sitting and turned to her with a fierce look on her face. They were in class then and Asuka didn't get any sleep the night before, and because of her typical luck that night after her "typical" event, just as she falls asleep around 3 AM, _oh-_so typical Hazuki had barged back in their dorm drunk as a who-knows-what really, with a late night "friend."

"I'm going to make plans to try and go back home, _ok_?" Asuka finally confessed, smoke bellowing from her ears. "That's why I won't go clubbing with you…_ok_?"

Hazuki's eyes went wide. Like anime eyes. Asuka's right eye twitched. And finally the bomb was dropped.

"Oh no, you are NOT going home!" She shrieked, making the whole class turn to them. "No way, not now! Asuka Kazama, if I have to tie you down in a straight jacket, lock you up in my closet just so you don't leave--!"

"Hazuki!" she hissed at her friend.

Her friend's angry and contorted face turned to a frown and she pleaded, "But _why_…?"

Before she answered, Asuka turned to the rest of the class who had went deathly silent and clenched her teeth.

"WHAT?" she asked daringly, her loud voice echoing in the classroom.

The teacher came in then, with a puzzled expression and then scowled, "Kazama…"

Everyone sat back down along with Asuka, whose self-conscience was still raging a war.

She grumbled an indistinctive word as the teacher began his lesson.

---------------------------------------

"Kazama!"

She clenched her jaw and bit back the "fuck off" that she was oh-so dieing to yell. Honestly. She can't remember anyone, not even Megumi or Ling Xiaoyu as annoying as Hazuki.

She turned slowly, swatting away any of her smart-ass-ness that she possessed and gathered up what was left of her pride and dignity to reply back, "Yes?"

Hazuki rushed up to her, tucking back her blue-black hair behind her ear. "Ok, _now_ will you tell me why you're leaving? I mean, you can't be having a nervous break-down now, are you?"

Asuka shook her head and played with the loose end of the metal spiral in her notebook. "No…" she replied.

Hazuki whined, "Then WHY?"

Asuka lied, "Because…my housekeeper is sick. She's in the hospital, and she had been taking care of me since I was in diapers. I _have_ to go."

Hazuki nodded slowly, but understandingly.

Asuka added a little more sincere, "Don't worry, Hazuki…I won't be gone for long."

_At least, I hope_, she thought.

Hazuki nodded again. "I see…Gee, Asuka, I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Asuka said quickly.

Hazuki changed the subject, "So…how bout we just get lunch? I'll pay."

Asuka nodded. "Sure."

So they went to that "cool, Internet-fueled café" nearby, ate, talked, laughed, and planned. Like they always did.

And though Asuka didn't show it, she was still kept on alert for that phantom of the night, that strange figure, perhaps a mysterious call on her cell phone…

---------------------------------------

"_Wow_…"

Asuka was in shock. Standing there, with the wind to her back, the sun just rising into brilliant colors of red, orange, and pink…it was simply amazing.

She turned to Julia with a grin. "Talk about your million dollar views. This tower is amazing!"

Julia grinned back, her mysterious dark orbs twinkling at her young friend's excitement of a simple pleasure. "I knew you'd like it up here. I have a feeling you'll be coming here more often now."

Asuka said joyfully, "I'll say! Hmm, maybe I can bring a bike up here…"

Julia shook her head smiling. "Keep dreaming."

Xiaoyu yawned. "Yeah, yeah. I've been here like, a million times over. Can I go back to sleep?"

Asuka just slung her arms onto the railings and leaned in more closely at the world. "But it's awesome up here Xiao! So what if you're tired and you've been here before? I could never get tired of this place!"

Xiaoyu scowled. "Maybe I'll be a little more cheerful if it weren't 5 AM."

Julia chuckled. "You know, I expected you to be more of a morning person…"

Xiaoyu replied, "Morning is meant for sleeping. How else do you think I get all my energy for the day?"

"True," Julia said.

Asuka just concentrated on watching two birds fly around in the wind, carefree. Unexpectedly, a stab of pain came to her heart. She knew a couple of people who would've loved this place.

Julia broke out of her thoughts and scowled in a maternal way, "Asuka, don't lean in so far out like that. What if you fall?"

Asuka smirked and swung her legs over the railings and sat. "I guess I'll just fall then," she teased.

Xiaoyu said, "Asuka, get off you retard!"

Asuka laughed and swung off. Then she noticed another ladder.3

"Hey…" Asuka began walking towards it. She broke into a mischievous grin.

"Now what?" a grumpy, sleep-deprived Xiaoyu complained.

"Asuka…" Julia warned.

She ignored them and began to climb.

"C'mon guys!" she yelled, climbing higher and higher.

Julia cried, "Asuka, only workers can go up there!" Yet nevertheless, she followed. Xiaoyu sighed. And she too climbed up.

They found themselves in a more tighter spot, knee-high railings surrounding them in their little circle, high right on the exact top of the tower. The three fighters became silent as they stared at the world around them from sky's view.

"I've never been up here before…" Xiaoyu said softly.

Julia shook her head. "Nether have I…but we shouldn't be here…"

Asuka turned to her with a sassy smile. "Do you _care_?"

Julia smirked and said, "Why should I?"

The girls stayed there for a while, the sun finally rising to its fullest. The crowds and crowds of people below them became thicker, like little ants gathering up in its colonies. Asuka closed her eyes and imagined that she wasn't there in Tokyo, but in a place where no cars or buses or anything city-like could be heard, where all she could hear was the sound of the winds, trees rustling, birds twittering, water rippling…

"I think it's time to go."

She opened her eyes to find Xiaoyu looking at her watch.

Julia nodded. "Yeah," she said, "Our fights are in 2-3 hours."

Not waiting for a reply, the two of them began to climb back down. But Asuka stayed there at the spot, still staring out, spotting the two birds once more.

_Wish I could fly_.

Xiaoyu called out to her, "You coming or what?"

Reluctantly, Asuka followed.

Neither of them was aware of a dark figure from another nearby building spying on them with binoculars.

---------------------------------------

She didn't know what made her think of that. It had been when Julia and Xiaoyu had taken her up to Tokyo Tower for the very first time during the 5th tournament. It was one of her fondest memory of the two.

Asuka didn't mean to tune out her friend while she talked. Hazuki and her were just walking back to their dorm and Hazuki was chatting away, as per-usual.

"It was just so _stupid_ of them to try and do a cover of System of a Down, I mean, who the hell tries…"

It was just that Asuka was trying to search for something in her memories of the tournament about what seemed…out of the ordinary.

Ok. That was a stupid statement. After all, the tournaments were known for their usual "out-of-the-ordinary" events happening. Like the little catch in the third tournament on how you had to fight a giant green monster. At least, that's what she had heard from the rumors…

"…Then again, she _did _didn't try to not say that, but honestly, how can you _not _not say something like…"

Well strange things did happen while she was at the tournament. Like during the first briefing. All the fighters gathered around at the hotel lobby where they were all staying to go and see the sponsor, A.K.A. the "Boss." According to veterans of the tournament, they nicknamed the sponsor such a name since he was technically the one to decide who wins or not; meaning, you had to fight them in the end.

Well anyway, Asuka remembers how determined everyone was on meeting the so-called Boss. After all, Heihachi Mishima, the usual sponsor of the tournament was dead, his grandson wanted nothing to do with his own name ("Jeeze, what a freak," Asuka claimed after Julia told her about the Mishima family), and his son, well…

But instead of seeing his actual face, they heard a dark, low voice speak to them. Everyone searched for it's owner, but no, they couldn't find it. What Asuka remembers quite vividly was how suddenly the room went cold, she felt lightheaded and began to shake…and she felt a surge of energy run through her and all she could do was hold back with all her might from jumping at the first person she saw and ripping their head off.

The voice spoke for only a minute or so and then a worker of the Zaibatsu entered and wished everyone good luck and handed them their schedules.

As soon as the voice had bid them farewell, the room retained its usual temperature, she stopped shaking, and felt like she was going to faint. She had hurried off to her room before anyone noticed and blamed it on her nerves and the disgusting cheesecake she tried at the hotel.

"…So I was like, uh, _noooo_, but they were all, dude, that's wrong, but I said…"

Then there was the time when she first met Jin Kazama. Ok, she didn't actually _meet_ him, meet him; she sort of bumped into him. If you could call it that. What had happen was she had been too busy glaring daggers at the back of Feng Wei's head when suddenly hands came to her and forced her turn around. The next thing she knew was that she was facing a taller, broader, bigger man, wearing a dark jacket with its hoodie masking his face. Every part of his face had been overshadowed in darkness, his perfect lips parted ever so slightly in his own confusion as he stared back at her.

Asuka was too shocked to respond, or to slap him, yell at him, kick him in his groin. All she could think was "What the fuck…?"

They had stood like that for a full two minutes until his mouth closed to a perfect straight line and he shook his head and let her go.

It was very weird.

Then Xiaoyu came running towards her looking like she had seen Asuka get run over by a truck twice and asked a million questions per second. All Asuka could do was say, "Ok…who the hell was that and what just happened?"

Xiaoyu replied in disbelief, "That was Jin Kazama! Ohmygod! I can't believe he was just here! Holy crap, what should I do…?"

Asuka never even wondered how the two had the same surnames. All she said to Xiaoyu, who said maybe they were related was, "Oh c'mon, I'm sure there are millions of other Kazamas out there."

But now that she thought about it…

"…And then you know what she said to me? She said I could just run off and…"

After her encounter with Jin, Xiaoyu continued to talk to herself until as quickly as she had rushed up to her, she vanished to try and find him. Asuka had never been more confused. Finally she swore, turned around, and then bumped into someone.

"Sorry dude," Asuka mumbled, clearly not in a good mood. But she stopped when she found out whom exactly she called a "dude" to.

Kazuya Mishima just stared down at her, eyebrow raised, but other than that a total blank expression upon his scarred and _deathly_ scary face. Shivers ran up and down her spine and she stuttered another apology in a higher octave voice and ran off, feeling the man's eyes on her back even after she left the hotel building.

She also remembers how she spotted the both of them watching her throughout the tournament.

"So yeah Asuka, I decided to paint our dorm room pink and burn all your stuff."

Asuka replied her usual, "Cool." But a minute went by and she screamed, "WHAT?!"

Hazuki slapped the back of her head. "You were ignoring me the whole time, you jerk!"

Asuka was about to reply when suddenly a cold wall came out of nowhere and she walked right into it.

"Ow…" she said lamely, rubbing her head. "Who the hell put this here?"

Hazuki rolled her eyes and replied, "The door's still closed, numb-nuts. Or did you not notice we were here already."

Asuka's cheeks turned a vibrant red and she chose not to reply. Then something white caught her eye to the floor.

"Mail," Hazuki answered in the same tone as before, "Jeeze Kazama, you're really spacey today."

Asuka ignored her and picked up the single manila envelope. On it was her name…and no return address.

She opened it, not listening to a word of Hazuki as she complained to her. Inside was a navy blue card made of thick, fancy paper. Letters were itched in gold, Western-style cursive, wavy and perhaps fancier than the paper. But she didn't have to read what the words said. The minute she saw the navy blue card, she gasped.

Hazuki shrieked, startled at Asuka's sudden outburst. "What is it? A ransom note? Oh my God, there's a spider on it, right? Oh ew, get it away--!"

"No Hazuki," Asuka replied in a dark tone, "Worse."

Asuka simply held out the card so she could see. And forgot that she wasn't good at English cursive.

Hazuki's concerned look turned to a blank frown. "Wow… That's really something Asuka. Freaking…_Gone With The Wind_."

Asuka scowled at her friend's response. "No!" she yelled, "Look! It's an invitation the 6th Iron Fists!"

Hazuki's eyes sparkled and a mischievous grin lit up her face. "Ohmygod Asuka! That is so cool, you're gonna be in the next fighting tournament! Holy shit, you're gonna be a celebrity again--!"

"No, Hazuki," Asuka said angrily, "This is bad."

"Bad…?" Hazuki replied, lost.

"Yes Hazuki," Asuka replied slowly, as if explaining this to a 5-year-old, "Very bad."

Hazuki scowled, "How is it bad? Or what? Are you scared now?"

Asuka retorted, "No!" She began to argue with her but stopped. She couldn't tell her what had happened last night. She wouldn't even believe her and if she did, she'd be concerned and try to get involved…

Wait…

Rewind…

Last night. She got a phone call—

_Go back home and stay there. Forget what you know. Forget everything_.

The caller was warning her not to enter this tournament. He probably knew she would've and…

This was where she was going to find the truth. Here, in the tournament. There she would find what she needed to find, all the answers, the truth, the…

Deafening lights. Cheers and boos. Jumping, kicking, punching, pain and blood intertwining as the referee counted to ten. Victory. The adrenaline rush, the fast pace of her heart quickening with each beat as she danced the Deadly Dance of the Kazama-ryu…it was gonna happen once more, all too soon.

Wordlessly leaving a bewildered Hazuki, she opened the door to her dorm and took out her suitcase, and began to pack.

"Asuka…" Hazuki asked wearily, "What do you think you're doing?"

She replied, "I'm gonna join the tournament."

Hazuki said, "But, uh…isn't that a 'bad thing'?"

Asuka grinned and said, "Not anymore."

---------------------------------------

_And the bird stretched her wings, and began to take flight for a journey of unknown danger, loss, pain, and a little bit of love…and truth that she was not ready for._

_But she will be ready._

* * *

**Sachi: **yes…IT'S OVER! And it took me a long, long, _long_ time.

Again, thank you all of you for reviewing and sticking to this story. The new ones, the old ones, the not-so-good-ones-but-still-decided—to-review-to-add-to-my-other-reviews -- **THANK YOU**!

I've had a lot of doubts for this story…but it turned out to be my best story yet xD Not sure if this will end up being over a hundred review, but…:) we'll see, won't we?

You guys really motivate me to keep on writing, even in my toughest times. With you guys and writing (and Tekken xD), I can get over the bad things that have happened to me. So THANK YOU!!!

And remember people: think **SEQUEL**!

Hopefully this story made you guys think twice about Asuka, and perhaps made you into fans.

And now, this is Sachi, OUT!

---------------------------------------

1 – happened to me xD and that was the exact response my mom gave me.

2 – sadly, I was once in her situation :(

3 – Tokyo Tower people. Hey, any of you seen King Kong? Well I got that scenery from there, where Ann Darrow follows King Kong up that skyscraper and onto the very top…


End file.
